2022 NFL Draft School and Conference Prop Bets: How Many Bulldogs Go in Round 1?

We’re talkin’ Bulldogs baby! There are a plethora of potential first-round draftees coming out of Georgia. Will there be enough to cash a plus-money prop opportunity? We look at Georgia and other college football conferences in our 2022 NFL Draft prop bets.

The NFL draft is the annual climax of the intersection between pro and college football. For the hundreds of prospects who will hear their name called this weekend, the NFL draft is all about the future and starting the next chapter in their football careers. When it comes to betting on the biggest event of the NFL offseason, one popular market actually focuses on the schools and college football conferences that these players are leaving behind.

Depending on the sportsbook, bettors will be able to find any number of school and conference-related draft prop bets. Although the school of a prospect means nothing as far as the career they will have at the next level, it’s always fun to compare how different conferences stack up on Night 1 of the draft. Pick your spots right and there is money to be made with NFL draft props of this type as well.

Here are our best bets for the 2022 NFL Draft from the position totals market (odds via PointsBet and DraftKings Sportsbooks; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

2022 NFL Draft School and Conference Prop Bets

Georgia Bulldogs drafted in Round 1: Over 4.5 (+110 via PointsBet) ????SEC players drafted in Round 1: Over 10.5 (-135 via DraftKings) ????Pac-12 players drafted in Round 1: Under 4.5 (-165 via PointsBet) ???

SEE ALSO: 2022 NFL Draft Odds and Picks

School and Conference Draft Predictions

Over 4.5 Georgia players taken in Round 1 (+110)

https://twitter.com/GeorgiaFootball/status/1519379511279710208

After winning the College Football Playoff National Championship in January, it's no surprise that several Georgia Bulldogs players are moving on to the pros. UGA had one of the best defenses that college football has seen in a long time last season. A huge reason for this was the multitude of NFL-caliber players that head coach Kirby Smart had on the roster. The question is, will five of the first 32 picks in the 2022 NFL Draft hail from the University of Georgia? 

Depending on which talking heads one listens to and/or which mock drafts one consumes, betting the Over on 4.5 total Georgia players being drafted on Night 1 may seem crazy. Considering that PointsBet is offering a plus-money price on the Over, it seems that a great deal of the market echoes that sentiment. In reality, there is potential for a full half-dozen Bulldogs to hear their name called on Thursday night.

Let’s start with the obvious name which is edge rusher Travon Walker. NFL betting odds have actually shifted heavily in favor of Walker being the No. 1 overall selection. Behind him comes fellow defensive lineman Jordan Davis. Thus, no fewer than two Georgia players will be taken in the top-20. While this leaves us needing three more 'Dawgs needing to be selected in the final dozen picks to cash the Over, there are certainly plenty of candidates.

Georgia is very likely to have three defensive linemen drafted in Round 1. One would be hard-pressed to find any mock draft that has Devonte Wyatt slipping out of the first round. One Bulldog who is slipping according to some is linebacker Nakobe Dean. News flash: Dean may actually be the best linebacker in this entire draft class. The rumors that he is falling down draft boards are probably a bit overblown.

With that, we are left needing just one more Bulldog to be selected on Thursday. Safety Lewis Cine is easily the most likely candidate. The fact that he probably wouldn’t be taken until pick No. 31 or 32 means that this prop really could turn out to be the ultimate NFL draft betting sweat. In addition, linebacker Quay Walker is worth mentioning. While he is unlikely to go on Day 1, teams have certainly reached to fill positional needs before.

Over 10.5 SEC players go in Round 1 (-135)

Look, if we’re willing to get behind the idea of five Georgia players alone being drafted in the first round, it makes perfect sense to expand our horizons and consider the entire SEC. The best conference in college football has dominated the opening round of the NFL draft in recent years. It seems safe to expect more of the same on Thursday.

Eleven draftees would need to hear their names called to cash the over on the SEC’s prop of 10.5 first-round picks. For the sake of argument, we will presume that the five Georgia players mentioned above (Walker, Davis, Wyatt, Dean, Cine) are all among the first 32 picks. That leaves us needing six more SEC players to hit this Over.

Georgia may be the heavyweight in this year’s draft but let’s not forget that Alabama is still an SEC school as well. The Crimson Tide provide two first round locks this year in tackle Evan Neal and wideout Jameson Williams. Joining Neal as virtual top-10 locks are Mississippi State tackle Charles Cross and LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. In essence, no fewer than six SEC players are likely to be taken among the first 20 picks.

With three Georgia players still in play for the first round, only two additional SEC players would need to be drafted to reach our desired total of 11. Perhaps this prop is slightly juiced to the Over because both Texas A&M tackle Kenyon Green and Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks are widely expected to go on Night 1 of the draft. 

Even if teams elect to reach for positional needs late in the first round, the SEC has several names teetering on the edge of Day 1 consideration as well. Georgia alone provides both Walker and George Pickens. Teams in search of a defensive back could very realistically pull the trigger on one of Auburn’s Roger McCreary or Florida’s Kaiir Elam as well.

Under 4.5 Pac-12 players go in Round 1 (-165)

If the NFL draft betting odds are any indication, the Pac-12 is unlikely to have more than four players selected on Thursday. Based on most draft big boards, a team would probably need to reach late in the opening round for the conference to have five draftees. The potential reward of laying the -165 juice (notably priced at -190 elsewhere) figures to outweigh the risk.

In total, three Pac-12 players are bonafide first-round locks. Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux is a likely top-five pick, while USC wideout Drake London could easily go in the top-10 as well. There are several teams hungry for a defensive back coming into this year’s draft. While he is probably only the third or fourth-best player at the position, Washington corner Trent McDuffie should also be viewed as a first-round lock. 

ThusU, under bettors can afford only one additional Pac-12 player to be drafted on Night 1. Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd will more than likely assume that one open spot. Some “expert” mocks have projected Lloyd to be selected with one of the last two picks in the opening round. Considering the talent he possesses, this seems extremely late for him to be chosen. One would be wise to anticipate Lloyd going somewhere between the 12th pick and the end of the round.

Lumping Lloyd in with the three other Pac-12 first-round locks leaves us with no margin for error to have this prop cash the Under. Unless a team reaches on USC edge rusher Drake Jackson or bypasses other more talented corners in favor of Washington’s Kyler Gordon, that fifth Pac-12 player is simply nowhere to be found.

Where to Bet on the NFL Draft

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

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