We have previously covered the betting possibilities available to us for both the first and second picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.
You can see both the odds and our betting picks from the links below, and today we’ll turn our attention to the third overall picks market.
It’s great that it’s a marketplace available to us in both DraftKings and FanDuel, but it’s here and it’s fluctuating.
The first round is just three weeks away, set for April 28, so now is the time to familiarize yourself with the options.
Related reading:
The owner of the third pick
The Houston Texans are currently working on a third draft this season. Deshaun Watson traded with Cleveland for their 13th overall pick, so Houston is in a good position to start rebuilding them.
Can Texans trade from this place? Perhaps, if given the opportunity to add more first to their arsenal.
However, this Houston team lacks long-term talent and is already filling their pockets with multiple firsts for the next few years.
That’s why I hope they stay here, which gives us some confidence in our draft picking project.
Could this be a quarterback?
In previous articles, we have established that Aidan Hutchinson is probably Jacksonville’s top pick. In our second-overall pick article, I mentioned that if a quarterback like owner Willis could go into the top five, it feels like a place.
If a team falls in love with a passerby, there is no better place than to go near the top of the draft to protect their guy.
It’s a so-called weak QB class, and Houston seemingly satisfied with bringing it back with Davis Mills, the first real QB-less team is the No. 6 Carolina Panthers.
I don’t see Houston trading from this spot like Detroit, which is why I’m not interested in making a quarterback bet to draft here.
Houston’s positional needs
If you’ve reviewed any mock drafts on sites like PFF or The Draft Network, you’ve probably noticed that Houston has a need for every location.
You can consider this a complication in projecting where they are going, I think it makes it easier.
Success in the NFL begins in the trenches. I have written this phrase countless times and will continue to do so as long as I can.
The Texans are not going to compete for the playoffs this season. This is about collecting building blocks in the form of blue-chip talent over the next few years.
Having the best player available here means the choice must be an OT or an EDGE race
Both are loaded at the top of the draft and it is a team-building philosophy that has been shared by many.
Disagreement on betting for third-overall selection
These differences are courtesy of DraftKings.
- Ikem Ekwonu, OT (+180)
- Evan Neil, OT (+300)
- Travan Walker, DL (+500)
- Ahmed Gardner, CB (+750)
- Kayvon Thibodeaux, EDGE (+800)
- Kyle Hamilton, S (+900)
Four of the five players with the highest odds for the third draft are on the offensive and defensive line and that’s where I put my money.
Best bet for third pick
As mentioned above, it’s important to remember that Houston will pick another one at number 13. When scanning the draft board, the watchman should be both an offensive and defensive lineman when returning.
I could see them double-dipping into the ditch.
Evan Neal of Alabama was once the unanimous top pick in the draft and I find his slide weird. This is a versatile lineman who has a record of saying that he can play four positions on the offensive line which is not the center.
He is 6-foot-7 and from the best college program in the country. I like the blue value at +300 for the Houston team which could plug him into the RT with Laramy Tunsil on the left.
If they choose the defensive line, I like Thebodox +800 here. He’s an explosive athlete who will help Houston get to the sidewalks much more frequently than in 2021.
Favorite bet:
- Evan Neil +300
- Kayvon Thibodeaux +800
