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Football analyst for ESPN, Mel Kiper, broke down the teams that made out best in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Kiper describes the rich as getting richer when it came to the Philadelphia Eagles selections of Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia (No. 9); Nolan Smith, OLB, Georgia (No. 30).
"The Eagles are going to reunite Carter with former Georgia teammate Jordan Davis -- the two formed an outstanding interior duo in 2021. I love this pick. This team has the locker-room leadership to make sure Carter stays on track and plays to his potential."
The Eagles also had the third shortest odds of winning the 2024 Super Bowl with a payout of $900 on every $100 bet.
The Seattle Seahawks also appear to have made out like bandits in the first round. Seattle owned a top-five pick as part of the Russell Wilson trade and made good use of it by getting Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois (No. 5); Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State (No. 20).
"While I would have gone with Jalen Carter over Witherspoon, the cornerback combo of Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen could quickly become one of the league's best. Witherspoon is my top-ranked corner, a true lockdown cover guy who can run with any receiver. For a team that wants to compete in the NFC West, he's ready to play as a rookie.
"As for Smith-Njigba, he complements Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf extremely well, as I mentioned a month ago when I first made this pairing. I thought he might go a little bit higher, but he landed in a great spot. We're talking about a player who put up 1,600 yards and nine scores in 2021 when he was healthy."
The Seahawks still pay long odds to win the Super Bowl at +5000.
Baltimore walked away from the first round of the NFL Draft smelling like roses. And, at 20-1 odds of winning the Super Bowl, this is a team that needs careful consideration when placing those futures bets.
Baltimore should be very good in 2023-24 now that the Ravens have locked down quarterback Lamar Jackson, one of the top trade prospects in recent months. He now gets a formidable playmaker in Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College (No. 22).
Ravens wide receivers combined for the least number of receiving yards when lined up in the slot last season (248). Flowers plugs that hole.
"He'll make Jackson's life so much easier. He can run every route, and he'll dominate out of the slot. Yes, the Ravens signed Odell Beckham Jr., but that was just a one-year deal. They have plenty of room for Flowers."
Odds to Win the 2024 Super Bowl
Rot Odds to Win 2024 Super Bowl Moneyline
2001 Kansas City Chiefs +600
2002 Buffalo Bills +900
2003 Philadelphia Eagles +900
2004 San Francisco 49ers +900
2005 Cincinnati Bengals +900
2006 Dallas Cowboys +1400
2007 Los Angeles Chargers +2500
2008 New York Jets +1400
2009 Baltimore Ravens +2000
2010 Denver Broncos +3300
2011 Jacksonville Jaguars +2500
2012 Detroit Lions +2500
2013 Miami Dolphins +2500
2014 Green Bay Packers +5000
2015 Los Angeles Rams +5000
2016 Cleveland Browns +2800
2017 Las Vegas Raiders +4000
2018 New York Giants +4000
2019 Minnesota Vikings +4000
2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers +8000
2021 New Orleans Saints +4000
2022 New England Patriots +6600
2023 Carolina Panthers +5000
2024 Pittsburgh Steelers +5000
2025 Seattle Seahawks +5000
2026 Tennessee Titans +8000
2027 Chicago Bears +4000
2028 Atlanta Falcons +7000
2029 Washington Commanders +7000
2030 Arizona Cardinals +15000
2031 Indianapolis Colts +15000
2032 Houston Texans +20000
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
