The 2025 NFL Draft begins Thursday night in Green Bay. Once the Tennessee Titans go on the clock, there’s a fair bit of agreement within the NFL community about what they will do at No. 1. Beyond that, former Heisman Trophy-winning star Travis Hunter is widely expected to go No. 2 overall.
At DraftKings, Miami quarterback Cam Ward is -20000 to be the No. 1 pick. We’ll go ahead and call that a lock. Hunter is -2000 to be the No. 2 overall pick. From then on, the draft begins.
With zero first-round picks exchanging hands prior to Draft Day and very little consensus about what will happen beyond the top 2, there could be a handful of surprises in the first round.
I’m making 2 simultaneous plays on DraftKings for the top 6 picks. Back Mizzou tackle Armand Membou to be a top-5 pick (+700 via DraftKings) and take the over on Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty’s draft position at 6.5 (+370 via DraftKings).
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOKNew Customers: Bet $5, Get $200 Instantly! DraftKings States: AZ, CO, CT, DC, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, TN, VT, VA, WV, WY
GET THE APPSIGNUP PROMOBET $5GET $200BET NOW!RELATED: Sports betting is expected to launch in the state of Missouri later this year and residents will want to keep this DraftKings Missouri promo code handy for when it does.
The NFL Mock Draft Database has the New England Patriots selecting a tackle with their fourth pick. While so many have mocked LSU tackle Will Campbell to the Patriots, it wouldn’t be a surprise to learn after the fact that Membous was OT1 on a majority of team boards. The 6-foot-4, 332-pounder from Lee’s Summit has the best physical attributes of any player at the position in this class.
NFL.com’s Next Gen Stats Draft Model gave Membou a position-best 94 athleticism score. At the Combine, Membou had the second-best 40 time, the fourth-best vertical, the best broad jump, and the second-best bench among offensive linemen. He’s a multi-year starter who has done well throughout the pre-draft process to quiet concerns about his size profile.
I think there’s a least a chance New England has Membou above Campbell on its board. But New England could also be a trade-down candidate. With so many needs, and teams after Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham being worried about Jacksonville taking him at 5, perhaps the Patriots flip this pick to someone and Graham comes off the board at No. 4.
That would leave Jacksonville without its top choice at No. 5.
For Jacksonville, or a team looking to swap spots with Jacksonville, Membou would be a safe selection with major boom potential. His athleticism suggests Membou can grow into whatever role a team needs from him, even if he didn’t get much work outside of right tackle in school.
I think Membou is closer to Campbell than what is currently reflected in the betting markets.
But, more than anything, this comes down to the risk attached to drafting a running back so high in the year 2025.
Some pre-draft reporting has linked the Jacksonville Jaguars to Jeanty at No. 5. Former Kentucky offensive coordinator and first-year head coach Liam Coen is an offensive-minded guy in search of playmakers. The attraction to Jeanty makes sense, but recent draft history suggests there’s just not enough value to justify the risk with drafting a running back in the top 5.
So, drop Jeanty to No. 6, where many have speculated the Las Vegas Raiders would happily pick him up. But if Membou jumps into the top 5 and 1 of Campbell or Graham fall out of the top 5, would the Raiders take a running back over an impact lineman?
The value added if Jeanty hits isn’t quite the same as the value of landing a high-end starting offensive lineman who can anchor a line for several years. Additionally, offensive and defensive linemen who move the needle make for more complicated free agencies.
Take this from my colleague, Spenser Davis:
History says, though, that Jeanty’s team won’t get a great return on investment. Since 2010, there have been 8 running backs drafted with a top-10 pick: CJ Spiller, Trent Richardson, Todd Gurley, Ezekiel Elliott, Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson.
So far, those 8 players have combined to play 50 total seasons in the NFL. Only 6 of those seasons have produced a campaign that included at least 1,000 rushing yards with at least 5 yards per carry. The best season of the bunch — Barkley in 2024 — came for a division rival of the team who drafted him. The third-best season (McCaffrey in 2023) also came for a 49ers team that didn’t spend a top-10 pick on him.
The running back class is deep, meaning a team like Jacksonville or Las Vegas can still get a playmaker in a later round. It also reduces the likelihood a team trades up to grab Jeanty.
Betting Stuff: Back Mizzou tackle Armand Membou early in the 2025 NFL Draft Saturday Down South.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Betting Stuff: Back Mizzou tackle Armand Membou early in the 2025 NFL Draft )
Also on site :
- Man shot by police at Toronto airport
- Teenager killed and three injured in Nantes school stabbing
- Pope Francis’ funeral to stream on YouTube