The 2023 NFL Draft is less than three weeks away, and the speculation has begun on what position the New Orleans Saints will address in the first round.
The Saints are set to pick 29th overall, so handicapping what position they select first seems like a tough task considering they don’t pick until late in the opening round, but the oddsmakers at Caesars Sportsbook seem to have an idea of what the Saints will do.
Defensive line is the heavy favorite for the Saints first drafted position at -140, which includes both interior defensive lineman and edge rushers.
Addressing the defensive line in the first round seems to make sense for the Saints considering they lost a pair of starting defensive tackles this offseason in David Onyemata and Shy Tuttle as well as edge rusher Marcus Davenport.
Some defensive line prospects that have been mocked the Saints recently include Clemson EDGE Myles Murphy, Clemson DT Bryan Breese and Iowa EDGE Lukas Van Ness.
The position with the next-best odds for the Saints to address first is wide receiver at +500, which would be the second-straight year they drafted a receiver first after taking Chris Olave 11th overall in 2022.
Tight end and running back are next up at +650 and +750 respectively, and while both positions appear deeper than usual in 2023, addressing them in the first round would be unconventional for the Saints.
The positions that could be dark horse candidates for the Saints to address first are offensive line and defensive back at +800, especially offensive line considering it’s a position that the Saints have a history of investing in early in the draft.
Linebacker (+20000), quarterback (+5000) and kicker/punter/long snapper (+10000) are also on the board, but they don’t appear to offer any betting value since it’s highly unlikely that the Saints address those positions first.
SAINTS FIRST DRAFTED POSITION
Odds from Caesars Sportsbook, official odds partner of bet.NOLA.com
Defensive Lineman/EDGE: -140
Wide Receiver: +500
Tight End: +650
Running Back: +750
Offensive Lineman: +800
Defensive Back: +800
Linebacker: +2000
Quarterback: +5000
Kicker/Punter/Long Snapper: +10000
Leave a Reply