Ricky Dimon
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Football never stops, folks. There’s the season, then there’s free agency, then there’s the NFL Draft and then there’s training camp before we do the cycle all over again. We are currently in draft mode, with the 2023 selection process set to begin on Thursday night in Kansas City, Missouri. The home of the defending Super Bowl champions should be in line for a fun week, as this draft promises to be particularly wild. Heck, the #1 overall pick has already changed hands – from the Chicago Bears to the Carolina Panthers. You can be sure a lot more trades are in store for us, too.
In this article we are focusing on the linebackers, specifically which one will go off the board first. Let’s start by assessing the odds before taking a look at the best bets to be made.
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2023 NFL Draft odds to be the first linebacker drafted
The first linebacker drafted appears to be a 3-man race between Jack Campbell of Iowa, Drew Sanders of Arkansas and Trenton Simpson of Clemson. It should be noted that Alabama’s Will Anderson qualifies as an edge rusher, so he is not involved in this linebacker corps. Anderson is +120 to be the first defensive player of any kind off the board, trailing only Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson (-140).
Here is the short list of linebacker favorites:
Jack Campbell -115
Drew Sanders +130
Trenton Simpson +380
Daiyan Henley +2500
Demarvion Overshown +5000
Noah Sewell +6000
Nick Herbig +7000
Henry To’oTo’o +8000
Micah Bakersville +9000
Payton Wilson +9000
2023 NFL Draft first linebacker drafted prediction: Jack Campbell (-115)
At -115, Campbell is basically even with the rest of the field to be the first linebacker selected. There is enough value at that number for me to go in Campbell’s direction. The former Iowa standout has a good chance to go in the first round, which is generally reserved for edge rushers who specialize in sacking the quarterback. Campbell doesn’t do a whole lot of that, but he is the essence of a middle linebacker: fundamentally sound and an absolute ball-hawk. The Cedar Falls, Iowa native racked off 125 tackles in his final college season and it should also be noted that he picked off Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.
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2023 NFL Draft first linebacker drafted longshot: DeMarvion Overshown (+5000)
As the odds indicate, Overshown is a bit overshadowed by some other players at his position. At +5000, though, I think he is well worth a sprinkle. Overshown’s versatility is second to none among middle linebackers in the 2023 draft class. He is a converted safety, so it’s no surprise that the Texas product can do a little bit of everything. Last season with the Longhorns he compiled 95 tackles, 4 sacks and 5 pass breakups. If Campbell falls for any reason and Overshown sneaks into something like the early part of round 2, it could be enough to be the first linebacker off the board.
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