Best Bets for 2022 NFL Draft First Pick By Position

Since we can't bet on NFL games during the springtime, we'll gladly settle for the next best thing: NFL draft props. In particular, we're examining the first pick by position in the NFL draft.

At long last, the main event of the NFL offseason has nearly arrived, with the first round of the draft on tap for Thursday night. We're going to dive into the position markets to identify our top picks for which player might be taken first from his respective position group.

Here are the top first pick by position props for the 2022 NFL Draft (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Best First Player By Position Picks

First Quarterback Selected: Malik Willis (-140 via FanDuel)????First Running Back Selected: Breece Hall (-180 via FanDuel)?????First Wide Receiver Selected: Jameson Williams (+200 via FanDuel)?????First Offensive Lineman Selected: Ikem Ekwonu (-150 via FanDuel)????First Cornerback Selected: Derek Stingley Jr. (+135 via DraftKings)???First Linebacker Selected: Quay Walker (+650 via FanDuel)???Second Tight End Selected: Greg Dulcich (+200 via DraftKings)??Second Safety Selected: Jaquan Brisker (+600 via DraftKings)??First Special Teams Player Selected: Cade York (+900 via DraftKings)??

SEE ALSO: 2022 NFL Draft Team Specials Picks

Top First Pick By Position Bets

First Quarterback Selected: Malik Willis (-140 via FanDuel)

Though it seems the collective football universe is underwhelmed by this year's QB crop, I believe Liberty's Malik Willis has the highest ceiling of any quarterback from this class. And when you're a team taking a dart throw on a passer in a watered-down year at the position, upside has to be the priority.

Unlike last year's quarterback frenzy, this draft is completely wide-open in terms of when the dominos might begin to fall at the most important position in sports. DraftKings has Willis as -190, which isn't really a value worth playing. Willis' odds of -140 to be the first QB off the board are a different story, however.

First Running Back Selected: Breece Hall (-180 via FanDuel)

Though a Clyde Edwards-Helaire-type situation (in which Jonathan Taylor was the clear RB1 in that draft class, yet the Kansas City Chiefs went another direction) always has the potential to develop, Breece Hall seems to be the consensus choice as the first running back off the board for good reason.

He's a dynamic runner and playmaker who should have a future as a strong lead back in an NFL offense. Where or when he might come off the board is anyone's guess, but Hall is primed as the most explosive back in this year's draft. You're paying a premium to wager it, with FanDuel's -180 showing as the best price among the major sportsbooks. It should be worth it, though.

Check out our top-rated sportsbooks here

First Wide Receiver Selected: Jameson Williams (+200 via FanDuel)

FanDuel continues with the trend of offering favorable odds on our preferred selections with this one. Alabama's Jameson Williams comes in behind only Ohio State's Garrett Wilson as the most likely wide receiver to be selected first, but the odds on Williams are +200 at FanDuel compared to +175 at DraftKings and BetMGM. I like the value on Williams here relative to the chalk with Wilson.

I consider Williams the most talented wideout in the draft, and with modern medicine, his ACL tear in the National Championship game should basically be considered a non-factor. He's the most explosive player at the position and could see any number of teams trade up to snag him. Give me the extra juice on Williams.

First Offensive Lineman Selected: Ikem Ekwonu (-150 via FanDuel)

FanDuel is still killing it, as your return on investment for an Ikem Ekwonu bet as the first o-lineman off the board will net more cash at FD's -150 odds than the -200 you'll find most other spots. Bama's Evan Neal could spoil the party on this bet, but he feels more like a top-10 name than the top-five-caliber choice Ekwonu could be.

Sometimes, like with Williams, I'm happy to chase the upside on the underdog. Here, I feel like the chalk holds.

First Cornerback Selected: Derek Stingley Jr. (+135 via DraftKings)

I'm not convinced the first pick at cornerback won't be Sauce Gardner. Honestly, if we were seeing even odds here, Gardner might be my pick, but the best odds available are -175 at DraftKings and BetMGM. That's just too big of a premium on what feels like more of a coin-flip proposition.

I like the notion of a team getting tantalized in the waning hours with the notion of recapturing the 2019 version of Derek Stingley Jr. at the NFL level. With his plus-money odds, that's my preferred wager here, though not with as much confidence as the other positions discussed so far.

SEE ALSO: Draft Position for Players Chosen in Round 1

First Linebacker Selected: Quay Walker (+650 via FanDuel)

Let's get a little funky with at least one of our selections, shall we? The heavy odds-on favorite to be selected as the first linebacker off the board is Utah's Devin Lloyd. He's a massive favorite at -425 at DraftKings. With the limited return that would present, I see no sense in wasting our time betting on Lloyd.

If we want to lob a bomb - and it does seem the linebacker position is often an area where surprise evaluations develop during the draft - let's go with Quay Walker, Georgia teammate of fellow first-LB candidate Nakobe Dean (+600). Teams might look at Walker's late arrival to a starting role and his NFL-caliber size relative to the other top picks at the position and be enthralled by the potential growth he has yet to realize. It's more of a dart throw, but it's interesting nevertheless.

Second Tight End Selected: Greg Dulcich (+200 via DraftKings)

DraftKings goes a different direction with our last couple of categories, offering only the option to wager on the second player selected at tight end and safety, respectively. There's no Kyle Pitts in this class and Trey McBride is likely to go as the first pick at his position. Where the tight end situation goes after that is really just going to come down to a later-rounds crapshoot.

Dulcich has the most favorable odds on the board, though, and even he's at +200. That’s worth another dart throw.

Second Safety Selected: Jaquan Brisker (+600 via DraftKings)

The odds aren't enticing on Daxton Hill to be the second safety selected (-175) so I'll move down the board and target longshot Jaquan Brisker at +650. Lewis Cine is another viable candidate at +200.

First Special Teams Player Selected: Cade York (+900 via DraftKings)

Matt Araiza is a ridiculously talented punter out of San Diego State. He also handled kicking duties there for the Aztecs, but he's the heavy favorite to be the first special teamer off the board due to his punting prowess.

The ROI isn't very tasty, so if you're a true degenerate looking to play this prop, consider that the first NFL team thinking special teams might be inclined to take a pure placekicker instead. Boom, Cade York.

Where to Bet on the NFL Draft

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel SportsbookCaesars SportsbookDraftKings SportsbookPointsBet reviewBetMGM

SEE ALSO: All picks, odds, and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.