NFL draft’s biggest winners, losers, props
The biggest winner in the first round of Thursday’s NFL draft was arguably Gregory Hampton, who won a pair of season tickets for the next 100 years to his preferred team.
The Giants fan might want to rethink his choice after New York used the No. 6 pick on Duke quarterback Daniel Jones.
The surprise pick came two spots after the Raiders messed up countless mock drafts by using the No. 4 pick on Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell, who was widely projected to go much lower in the first round.
QB prop goes under
The biggest upset on the menu of NFL draft props at Las Vegas sportsbooks was on under 3½ quarterbacks taken in the first round. The over was as high as a minus 360 favorite at Station Casinos, but the under cashed at plus 280.
Kyler Murray, as expected, was taken with the No. 1 overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals. The Oklahoma QB cashed as a minus 800 favorite to be selected first overall after opening at minus 140 and soaring as high as minus 2500.
Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins slid to his hometown Washington Redskins at No. 15, where he was the third and final QB selected in the first round.
Haskins went over his draft positions of 6½ (-260) and 13½ (+130). So did Missouri QB Drew Lock, who wasn’t picked as he went over 10½ (-160) and 13½ (+110).
“It was not a heavily bet event but they did play that (QB prop) over,” Sunset Station sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said after hosting a packed draft party inside Club Madrid.
“I’m really surprised. I thought you would definitely see four and maybe five,” he said. “Because of the fifth-year control of the teams in the first round, I thought that Drew Lock would go.”
Winners, losers
Despite the Giants getting ripped on social media for selecting Jones, Esposito considers them and the Redskins the biggest winners of the first round.
New York also took Clemson defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence at No. 17 and traded up to No. 30 to take Georgia cornerback Deandre Baker. Washington traded up to No. 26 to take Mississippi State defensive end Montez Sweat.
“The Giants got the quarterback they wanted,” Esposito said. “The Redskins didn’t have to trade up to get Haskins and were able to trade back in to get Sweat, who was thought by some to be a top 10 pick.”
CG Technology sportsbook oddsmaker Will Bernanke loved the New York Jets’ selection of Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams at No. 3 a year after they drafted QB Sam Darnold with the third pick.
“The Jets are doing what the Giants used to do. It’s funny how they’ve flipped the script,” he said. “The Giants should’ve took Darnold last year so now they had to force a pick on Jones.”
Raiders’ report
Ferrell was the first of three Clemson defensive linemen taken in the first round, which cashed over 2½ (-140) at the South Point. Oakland also took Alabama running back Josh Jacobs at No. 24 and Mississippi State safety Johnathan Abram at No. 27.
Jacobs’ cashed under his draft position of 25½ at plus 180 and was the only running back picked in the first round, cashing under 1½ at minus 600.
“Ferrell was a little bit of a surprise at No. 4. Most people thought he would be the third Clemson player drafted, not the first,” Esposito said. “I thought they did well with their next two picks. I loved the Jacobs pick. They clearly needed a running back, and he was the best running back on the board.”
No impact on odds
Esposito and Bernanke don’t expect the draft to impact any team’s season win totals, futures odds or power ratings.
“If anything did, it was the signing of Le’Veon Bell (by the Jets) and the trades of Antonio Brown (to the Raiders) and Odell Beckham (to the Browns),” Esposito said. “Those altered the futures for all three of those teams, especially the Browns.”
There were only two wide receivers taken in the first round: Oklahoma’s Marquise “Hollywood” Brown to the Baltimore Ravens at No. 25 and Arizona State’s N’Keal Harry at No. 32 to the New England Patriots. Under 2½ receivers cashed at plus 110.
Hockenson effect
Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson went No. 8 to the Detroit Lions, cashing under his draft position of 9½ at minus 130 and making a believer of at least one Caesars Entertainment bettor.
“HOCKENSON EFFECT: just took a “three figure” bet on Lions 25/1 to win the NFC,” Caesars oddsmaker Matt Lindeman posted on Twitter.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.