3 Longshot NFL Draft Picks to Be Taken In the First Round

• The three-day NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 27th with the Carolina Panthers on the clock
• Plenty of differing opinions on several prospects will make for an exciting draft
• Three longshot NFL Draft picks to be picked in round 1 with odds can be found below with analysis and wagering advice

This Thursday, the Carolina Panthers are selecting first overall in the 2023 draft. NFL Draft odds are pointing towards former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young being selected first.

Where the other players fall is anybody’s guess, with Will Levis, CJ Stroud and Anthony Richardson other QBs in NFL Draft projections expected to be off the board early.

As the first round progresses, there won’t be as many blue chips prospects available. There are plenty of longshots that could find their way into the bottom of the draft that pay out nicely. We’ll explore three of them that might hear their name called for Thursday’s first round.

First Round NFL Draft Odds

The NFL Draft tracker still shows that Alabama QB Bryce Young is expected to go first overall at -1000. That’s in spite of Will Levis’ stock rising massively to the point that he’s the second choice to be picked first by Carolina at +400.

Odds as of April 26th at DraftKings.

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Hendon Hooker An Intriguing Quarterback

If it weren’t for the torn ACL that Tennessee signal caller Hendon Hooker suffered in November, he’d be far more likely to be a lock to go in the first round of the draft. The 25-year-old, which is a bit older of the ideal age for a QB prospect, threw for 80 TDs and just 12 INTs in his college career.

At DraftKings, he has +900 odds to be the third quarterback selected, which would all but assure he’d be taken in Thursday’s first round. If Hooker ends up being the fifth quarterback taken, there’s still teams in the back half of the draft that could be eager to take him. Those include Detroit, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Minnesota and Baltimore.

Multiple NFL scouts and evaluators reportedly believe Hendon Hooker will not “make it out” of the first twenty picks.

Hooker said in a recent interview that he should be the first QB taken in the Draft.

Hooker also said that his age (25) isn’t a liability but an “advantage”… pic.twitter.com/oYnU4LnAsO

— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) April 25, 2023

Keep in mind, if there’s a team that really wants him, trading back into the first round (as opposed to picking him in round two), gives that team the fifth year player option that could be huge for their long term plans, should he wind up being a star.

NFL Draft 1st Round Prediction: Hendon Hooker (-175)

Darnell Washington a Solid Tight End

Big, physical tight ends are all the rage, and Georgia’s Darnell Washington is that. He stands 6′ 7″ and is 264 pounds. Washington is either the second or third ranked tight end coming out for this 2023 draft, and projects to be a late first rounder.

At DraftKings, he’s +500 to be the first TE off the board, behind Michael Mayer and Dalton Kincaid. He was named to the preseason watch list for the John Mackey Award, given to the nation’s outstanding collegiate tight end.

TEs with 80+ grades as a receiver & run blocker in 2022:

☘️ Michael Mayer
🐶 Darnell Washington pic.twitter.com/hLzWOusQPS

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 25, 2023

He’s considered an elite blocker with a great catch radius, with NFL Draft Buzz indicating his comparable is Marcedes Lewis. Getting Washington at plus money is intriguing, where he’s expected to go somewhere late in the first round.

NFL Draft 1st Round Prediction: Darnell Washington (+105)

Jack Campbell a Defensive Stalwart

After going with offensive players in the first two selections, let’s focus on the other side of the ball. Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell has a little bit longer odds than our QB and TE picks at +300. He’s the second choice amongst linebackers at +180 to be first LB picked.

All it takes is for one team to be thin at the linebacker position for him to hear his named called by commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday evening. He’s the Hawkeyes first ever recipient of the Butkus Award, named for the nation’s top linebacker. He’s being mocked early in round two, which is why he sits at +300. However, a talent like Campbell could sneak his way into the first round conversation.

NFL Draft 1st Round Prediction: Jack Campbell (+300)