Skip to content
logo
Search Icon
​
Log InSign Up
Top Bets
Top Bets
My Bets
My Bets
Portfolio Lab
Portfolio Lab
Help
Help
Categories NFL

2023 NFL Mock Draft & Best Bets: Predictions for This Year’s Top Rookies

April 27, 2023 | 2:50 PM by Isaiah Sirois
The early NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds give a slight edge to Will Anderson as the favorite on this NFL futures betting market...

The 2023 NFL Draft will get underway on Thursday, April 27 at 8 p.m. ET, when the Carolina Panthers go on the clock for the first overall pick. The consensus among sportsbooks and draft analysts alike is that Bryce Young will go first, but just about everything after that remains up in the air. With books offering plenty of betting markets on this year’s NFL draft, here are my top bets and predictions for the first 10 picks of Thursday’s opening round — mock draft style — using the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook.

2023 NFL Mock Draft & Best Bets | Picks 1 to 5

1.01 Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young -2000 via DraftKings

You won’t make much money betting on this line. In fact, you’d probably lose more than you’d make — the Carolina Panthers will probably take Alabama’s Bryce Young first overall, but will they do that 95.2% of the time, as this number suggests? Almost every analyst has Young going first overall, and just about every book has him as a massive favorite. Still, that doesn’t mean I recommend wagering 20 units to profit only one.

1.02 Houston Texans: Will Anderson Jr. +350 for 0.5 Units via DraftKings

The Houston Texans need a quarterback. However, the 2024 class features several exceptional signal-callers, including USC’s Caleb Williams. The Texans are internally split on C.J. Stroud, and enough sharp mock drafts have Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. here that I can’t reasonably pass on this price. Anderson will give them a massive leg up in the trenches as they look to complete a long-term rebuild. The Texans take Anderson here more than 22.2% of the time.

1.03 Las Vegas Raiders via Arizona Cardinals: C.J. Stroud +230 for 0.25 Units via DraftKings

If any of the top-shelf picks move, it’ll be this one. The Arizona Cardinals aren’t getting much value here if they use this pick, and plenty of quarterback-needy teams like the Las Vegas Raiders or the Tennessee Titans might be eager to jump the Indianapolis Colts — or the Colts themselves may be forced to move up — to select a quarterback. If it’s anyone, I think it’s C.J. Stroud. The S2 Cognition Test rumors that appear to have tanked Stroud’s draft stock seem like a smokescreen to keep his draft stock low. There’s a better than 30.3% chance that somebody trades up for Stroud at this spot.

1.04 Indianapolis Colts: Will Levis +130 via DraftKings

We can actually get a better price on this one by taking the Colts to draft Kentucky’s Will Levis at odds of +175 for 0.75 Units via DraftKings. While that won’t help us if the Colts trade up for Stroud, they could move up to take Levis, which would still cash this ticket. Further, should the Colts move up, it’s unlikely that whoever ends up with this pick (almost certainly the Cardinals) would take a quarterback. We’re backing Levis over Florida’s Anthony Richardson because plenty of insider information suggests the Colts prefer Levis.

1.05 Seattle Seahawks: Jalen Carter +600 for 0.25 Units via DraftKings

This play is pretty chalky, so getting it at odds of +600 is sharp. This isn’t a sexy pick by any means, as Georgia’s Jalen Carter has drawn plenty of criticism for a lack of effort and just went through some off-the-field issues at the NFL combine, but Seattle should be eager to get some relief in the trenches with the fifth overall pick. Opposing running backs owned the Seahawks last year, so a run-stopper like Carter could help them turn the tide. With the sharp mock index compiled by Matthew Freeman of FantasyPros having 40% of drafters on Carter here, it’s easy to justify buying the implied odds of only 14.9%.

2023 NFL Mock Draft & Best Bets | Picks 6 to 10

1.06 Detroit Lions: Christian Gonzalez +450 via DraftKings

Most experts have a cornerback here, and it’s either Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez or Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon. Witherspoon has a slight edge to get drafted at sixth overall (-130 to +450) and a massive edge to get taken first at cornerback (-260 to +180). Notably, Gonzalez is trading at +450 (18.2%) via DraftKings to get taken here but +400 (20%) via Bovada. This pick is probably a toss-up between Gonzalez and Witherspoon unless Jalen Carter falls, and I recommend keeping your exposure to this market limited. We’re getting into dart-throw territory, so I’ll go with the underdog here.

1.07 Arizona Cardinals via Las Vegas Raiders: Paris Johnson Jr. +300 via DraftKings

I don’t love the price for this one, so we’re going to play a completely different market: let’s back the Cardinals to draft an offensive lineman with their first draft choice at +250 for 0.5 Units via DraftKings. Arizona cannot hope to get anything out of Kyler Murray with an offensive line bookended by tackles D.J. Humphries and Kelvin Beachum, and insider buzz suggests that they’re aware of this fact. The Cardinals are unlikely to take an offensive lineman if they are unable to move down, but I expect their front office to get enough competitive offers for the third overall pick to make taking Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. or Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski a realistic option.

1.08 Atlanta Falcons: Bijan Robinson +200 for 0.25 Units via DraftKings

Are the New York Giants a model franchise? If you believe so, then taking a first-round running back despite not having a franchise quarterback under center can get you to the playoffs. That’s what the Giants did with Saquon Barkley before picking Daniel Jones the next season. I’m not a fan of this move, but Robinson is oozing with talent, and the Falcons are oozing with desperation. Some insider buzz points to Robinson here, and the Jeff Okudah trade makes it much less likely that the Falcons opt to take whichever one of Christian Gonzalez or Devon Witherspoon falls to them.

1.09 Chicago Bears: Peter Skoronski +380 for 0.25 Units via DraftKings

The Chicago Bears need help along the offensive line. Quarterback Justin Fields took too many sacks last season, and while some of those were on him for holding on to the ball too long, starting a fifth-round rookie at left tackle can do that to your franchise. But the admirable performance by first-year tackle Braxton Jones makes it less likely that the Bears target a true left tackle here, so let’s set them up with Peter Skoronski, whose frame makes him a better fit at guard.

1.10 Philadelphia Eagles: Luke Van Ness +600 for 0.25 Units via DraftKings

For those of you keeping track at home, I’m aware that I haven’t mocked Tyree Wilson to anybody yet. I’m also aware that just about everybody has him as a top-10 talent, perhaps a top-5 talent, as his odds of -300 to wind up going the top-5 picks suggest. If this weren’t a betting-oriented mock draft, I would certainly have Wilson off the board by now. But this is a best bets column, so we’re sending Luke Van Ness to the Philadelphia Eagles at odds of +600 via DraftKings instead. Van Ness fits Philadelphia’s defensive scheme and will serve as a nice complement to Jordan Davis in the trenches as the Eagles get ready to move on from aging veterans like Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox.

Categories NFL
Anthony Richardson NFL Draft Rumors Has Betting Line Moving on Draft Day
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Adds: Tanner Bibee a Hot Name After Successful Debut
Isaiah Sirois

Author

Isaiah Sirois

Isaiah Sirois is a sports betting analyst at OddsShopper specializing in basketball, football and motorsports. Basketball is Isaiah’s favorite sport to handicap, and he has covered NBA, WNBA, NCAA and FIBA markets for OddsShopper and other sites. However, Isaiah’s favorite sport to follow is auto racing, and you can usually find him watching NASCAR or IndyCar on Sundays. He will be a fan of Team Penske and Ford Performance until the end of time. Isaiah graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history from Emory University and briefly attended Vanderbilt Law School before dropping out to work at OddsShopper.

Next Story

What is Dinger Tuesday? How to Beat FanDuel’s Promotion

Trending & Related

DraftKings Pick6 Predictions for the Super Bowl

Super Bowl Best Bets: Lindy’s NFL Leans, Likes & Locks

Super Bowl Anytime Touchdown Scorers: Best Bets for Super Bowl LIX

Betting 101

Why Tailing Expert Picks with OddsShopper Tails Is the Best Decision You’ll Make Today

PrizePicks Cheat Sheet Today: How to Use a PrizePicks Optimizer

DraftKings Legal States

How to Get & Use Caesars Rewards

Sports Betting Resources

  • Positive EV NFL Bets
  • Expert NFL Picks
  • Live NBA Odds
  • Positive EV NBA Bets
  • Expert NBA Picks
  • Live NFL Odds
  • NFL Parlay Calculator
  • Positive EV MLB Bets
  • Expert MLB Picks
  • Positive EV College Football Bets
  • Expert College Football Picks

Featured Articles

What is Dinger Tuesday? How to Beat FanDuel’s Promotion
July 10, 2025 11:30 am | Isaiah Sirois
MLB Betting Strategy: 5 Tips for Winning on MLB Betting Sites
July 7, 2025 8:29 am | Dave Loughran
Get a 7-DAY FREE TRIAL Of Portfolio EV Today!
June 23, 2025 7:47 am | Sam Smith
What is a Futures Bet? How to Make Money Betting on Futures
June 20, 2025 9:41 am | Isaiah Sirois
US Open Odds, Picks & Betting Predictions (2025)
June 11, 2025 9:44 am | Ben Rasa
EVEN MORE Stories of Bankroll Building with Portfolio EV — Plus 50% Off Your Next Month!
June 2, 2025 3:10 pm | Sam Smith

Related Articles

Why Smart Bettors Are Growing Their NFL Bankroll Now
July 4, 2025 9:08 am | Sam Smith
Same Game Parlays: How to Beat the Sportsbooks at Their Own Game
June 15, 2025 10:51 am | Dave Loughran
Avoid These 5 NFL Betting Pitfalls & Mistakes to Maximize Your ROI This Season
June 12, 2025 3:44 pm | Sam Smith
Positive EV NFL Parlays: How to Build +EV NFL Parlay Bets
June 12, 2025 3:44 pm | Sam Smith
NFL Betting Help: Make Adjustments to Keep (or Start!) Winning
June 12, 2025 3:44 pm | Sam Smith
How to Beat the NFL Betting Market: Key Lessons for New Bettors
June 12, 2025 3:43 pm | Sam Smith

Why Tailing Expert Picks with OddsShopper Tails Is the Best Decision You’ll Make Today
July 11, 2025 3:02 pm
Best NRFI Bets Today: Winning Strategy for First Inning Betting
July 11, 2025 12:08 pm
PrizePicks Cheat Sheet Today: How to Use a PrizePicks Optimizer
July 10, 2025 11:44 am
DraftKings Legal States
July 10, 2025 11:31 am
How to Get & Use Caesars Rewards
July 10, 2025 11:31 am
Fliff Legal States
July 10, 2025 11:31 am
How to Use Fliff: Turning Fliff Coins & Cash Into Real Money
July 10, 2025 11:31 am
Rebet Legal States
July 10, 2025 11:31 am
FanDuel Legal States
July 10, 2025 11:31 am
What is Dinger Tuesday? How to Beat FanDuel’s Promotion
July 10, 2025 11:30 am

How Can I Find the Best Sports Betting and DFS App Bonuses?

If you're a new sports bettor, it's hard to know where to start. In fact, it's simpler than it seems, because there are incredible sportsbook bonus codes and DFS app promo codes that are expressly designed to help new players get started building a bankroll. As a new player, it's often correct to focus on taking advantage of as many of these offers as you can. Even better, having access to more books lets you take advantage of line shopping so that you can always get the best payout for your winning bets. Books like BetMGM and bet365 have great first-bet offers for new players. On the DFS App side, operators like Underdog and Sleeper offer matches on your first deposit up to a certain amount. Use the links below to explore the best sportsbook promo codes. Once you get signed up with a bonus, make sure to use OddsShopper's Free Bet Converter to maximize your beginning bankroll

Best BetMGM Bonus Code

Get a bonus code for BetMGM

Best Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code

Get a promo code Caesars Sportsbook
DraftKings Promo Code

Best DraftKings Promo Code

Get a promo code for DraftKings

Best FanDuel Promo Code

Use a promo code for FanDuel

Best PrizePicks Promo Code

Claim a promo code for PrizePicks

Best UnderDog Fantasy Promo Code

Get a promo code for UnderDog

Join the ranks of the OddsShopper Hall of Fame

  • Free Expert Picks

    • Free NBA Picks
    • Free MLB Picks
    • Free NFL Picks
    • Free NHL Picks
    • Free NCAAB Picks
    • Free NCAAF Picks
    • Free Golf Picks
    • Free UFC Picks
    • Free EPL Picks
    • Free Tennis Picks
    • Free WNBA Picks
  • Positive EV Bets

    • Positive EV NBA Bets
    • Positive EV MLB Bets
    • Positive EV NFL Bets
    • Positive EV NHL Bets
    • Positive EV NCAAB Bets
    • Positive EV NCAAF Bets
    • Positive EV Golf Bets
    • Positive EV UFC Bets
    • Positive EV EPL Bets
    • Positive EV Tennis Bets
    • Positive EV WNBA Bets
  • Betting Tools

    • Arbitrage Opportunities
    • Parlay Builder
    • PrizePicks Entry Builder
    • Underdog Entry Builder
    • Sleeper Entry Builder
    • Free Bet Converter
  • Articles

    • All Articles
    • NBA Articles
    • NFL Articles
    • NCAAF Articles
    • MLB Articles
    • PGA Articles
    • NHL Articles
    • NASCAR Articles
    • MMA Articles
  • Betting Calculators

    • Expected Value Calculator
    • Hold Calculator
    • Parlay Calculator
    • Odds Converter
  • Live Odds

    • Live NBA Odds
    • Live MLB Odds
    • Live NFL Odds
    • Live NHL Odds
    • Live NCAAB Odds
    • Live NCAAF Odds
    • Live Golf Odds
    • Live UFC Odds
    • Live EPL Odds
    • Live Tennis Odds
  • Sportsbook Promo Codes

    • BetMGM Bonus Codes
    • Bet365 Bonus Codes
    • FanDuel Promo Codes
    • DraftKings Promo Codes
    • Caesars Promo Codes
    • BetRivers Promo Codes
    • Sleeper Fantasy Promo Codes
    • Underdog Fantasy Promo Codes
    • Betr Picks Promo Codes
  • About Us

    • Contact Us
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Stokastic
OddsShopper Logo
© 2024 Stokastic.All Rights reserved.
This site contains commercial content, We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. OddsShopper makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.Please play responsibly. Only customers 21 and over are permitted to play. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.