Caleb Wilfinger
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The 2022 NFL Draft will be held from April 28-30 in Las Vegas, and offers plenty of wagering opportunities. The position battles are extremely intriguing, potentially going in any number of directions near the top of the draft.
Before names start getting called, we have a ton of draft content coming to get you primed. Here we’ll be focusing on draft props surrounding the cornerback position. Recent line movement suggests there is a clear favorite, but there is value to be had across the board.
We’ll start by taking a look at the odds, courtesy of DraftKings, before diving into the best bet:
Odds to be the first cornerback drafted
Odds available with DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner -450
Derek Stingley Jr. +250
Trent McDuffie +1500
Andrew Booth Jr. +7500
Kaiir Elam +10000
First cornerback drafted prediction: Sauce Gardner (-450)
Sauce Gardner is the clear betting favorite to be the first cornerback selected in this year’s draft. Gardner turned heads in his final season at Cincinnati, finishing with first team All-American honors while not allowing a single catch in the red zone. In fact, the former Bearcat is on the precipice of being the highest selected player at the cornerback position.
Gardner is projected to land anywhere from the No. 2 overall pick to the Lions, to No. 5 to the Giants. However, there are better ways to find value in the Cincinnati cornerback’s draft stock than at this -450 price. The over/under on his draft position is 5.5, with under being a -125 favorite and over currently registering at -105.
While some experts could see the Detroit native ending up on the Lions, I don’t think Detroit passes up on a game-changing defensive lineman in Aidan Hutchinson or Trayvon Walker. The same goes for the Texans at No. 3, who would be hard pressed to pass on Kayvon Thibodeaux. It’s clear that both New York teams really need an upgrade in the secondary, and the Jets have been linked to Gardner of late.
From NFL Now on @nflnetwork: Sure, the #Jets would explore a Deebo Samuel trade if he was available, but the #49ers don’t seem interested in making him available right now. As for No. 4 overall, count me in on the Sauce Gardner/Ickey Ekwonu speculation. pic.twitter.com/E5V6reni1C
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 25, 2022
I expect the top three edge rushers gone by the time we reach the 4th pick. If this holds, I think the Jets will go with the best defender available at 4th overall. And even if the Jets end up selecting Ickey Ekwonu, the New York Giants are also in need of a lockdown corner. At -125, there is value in backing Gardner’s draft position to be under 5.5.
When will Cincinnati’s Sauce Gardner be drafted?
First cornerback drafted longshot: Trent McDuffie (+1500)
While Gardner is the most likely to be the first CB drafted, Trent McDuffie may provide the best value on the board at a robust price of 15/1. The Washington Huskies cornerback has increased his draft stock after a strong junior season out west. After generating some buzz and scoring well at the combine, there is a decent chance that McDuffie could be selected higher than expected.
If Gardner isn’t taken in the top 5 for whatever reason, it’s conceivable that a front office may fall in love with McDuffie. Considering the injury history of Stingley Jr, McDuffie could be taken by a team in need at the position. Taking a stab at this price is worth a look.
Pickswise 2022 NFL Draft content
Check out some of the great articles our news team has put together on the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft:
- Who will be the first quarterback drafted?
- When will Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett be drafted?
- When will Alabama’s Evan Neal be drafted?
- Who will be the first offensive lineman drafted?
- Who will be the first running back drafted?
- When will Liberty’s Malik Willis be drafted?
Pickswise is the home of NFL Picks. Be sure to check out all of our post-Super Bowl offseason coverage as we gear up for the 2022 campaign.
