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You Can Bet on Who the First-Overall Pick in the 2019 NFL Draft Will Hug First

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in NFL Football

Updated Apr 1, 2020 · 3:02 PM PDT

Kyler Murray is favored to be selected first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft and has a history of hugging his Mom, most recently doing so after being named the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner.
  • Kyler Murray is widely expected to be selected first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft
  • Murray has a history of hugging his Mom, most recently doing so after being named the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner
  • Will Murray hug his Mom again if – and when – his name is called first? 

It has become a familiar scene in recent years. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell steps up to the podium amid a chorus of boos to announce the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. Surrounded by family, friends, and various hangers-on, the newly anointed superstar celebrates hearing his name called, typically with hugs and kisses from loved ones.

That scene is expected to play out once again at this year’s NFL Draft, with the odds of this year’s top pick being hugged first by his Mom pegged at a short -180 on the NFL Draft specials.

Who Will the Top Pick in the 2019 NFL Draft Hug First?

Who Will the Top Pick in the NFL Draft Hug First? Odds
His Mom -180
Field (Any Other/No Hug) +140

NFL Draft a Family Affair

Flanked by his mother and grandmother, Baker Mayfield received the news of his selection by the Cleveland Browns a year ago from the comfort of his family’s living room. Mayfield wasted no time embracing his mother once it was official. However, motherly hugs are far from a given at the NFL Draft.

In 2017, it was Myles Garrett’s father that received the initial embrace after the star defensive end out of Texas A&M received the call from the Browns.

A year earlier, Jared Goff kept it strictly business after the Los Angeles Rams made him the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, passing on the emotional moment, instead marching to the podium, and exchanging handshakes along the way.

Jared Goff kept it strictly business after the Los Angeles Rams made him the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

And for Jameis Winston, it was all about his grandmother, who sat by his side, and rewarded him with a kiss and hug after the Florida State Seminoles star was taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015.

Kyler Murray the Clear Favorite to Go First Overall in 2019

This time around, it is Kyler Murray who is expected to go first overall. The Oklahoma quarterback enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2018, tossing for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns to lead the Sooners to a Big 12 championship and a berth in the College Football Playoff.

Murray was rewarded for his impressive season with a Heisman Trophy win, and looks toward the start of the 2019 NFL Draft on Thursday as a heavy -350 favorite to be selected first overall in the NFL Draft props.

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Murray’s Heisman Win Capped by a Motherly Hug

However, if the 2018 Heisman Trophy award ceremony is any indication, a wager on this year’s overall pick being rewarded with a motherly hug is anything but a sure bet should Murray get the call as expected.

YouTube video

Murray’s parents, Missy and Kevin, were somewhat stone-faced after their son was announced as the 2018 Heisman Trophy winner. While Murray did receive a hug from both Mom and Dad, it was Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley that gave the 21-year-old the biggest squeeze to celebrate the win.

Bosa Family Has Been Here Before

Of course, there is no guarantee that Murray will be taken with the first overall pick, which is currently owned by the Arizona Cardinals. Nick Bosa sits second to Murray as a +400 bet to go first overall, ahead of Quinnen Williams at +500, while Josh Allen lags at +3300.

The Bosa family has been to the NFL Draft before. Joey Bosa was selected third overall by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2013, and found himself already wrapped in a motherly hug before the announcement from the podium was complete, a highlight which will likely be replayed when Nick eventually gets the call on Thursday night.

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