This year’s defensive line class is one of the most talented in recent history. It’s headlined by Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson, Georgia’s Travon Walker, and Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux. Below, we’ll look at NFL Draft odds for defensive linemen, including edge rushers and interior players.
NFL draft odds: First DL drafted
The market for the first defensive lineman drafted is synonymous with the first overall pick this year. Find odds for the first overall pick in the draft below. To bet on a player, click on their odds in the table.
Travon Walker | Bet now -450 | Bet now -450 | Bet now -450 | Bet now -320 |
Aidan Hutchinson | Bet now +400 | Bet now +500 | Bet now +400 | Bet now +400 |
Ikem Ekwonu | Bet now +750 | Bet now +700 | Bet now +400 | Bet now +300 |
Evan Neal | Bet now +2000 | Bet now +2500 | Bet now +2000 | Bet now +1500 |
Kayvon Thibodeaux | Bet now +5000 | Bet now +5500 | Bet now +3000 | Bet now +5000 |
Kenny Pickett | Bet now +10000 | Bet now OTB | Bet now +25000 | Bet now +12500 |
Charles Cross | Bet now +10000 | Bet now OTB | Bet now +10000 | Bet now +10000 |
Derek Stingley Jr. | Bet now +10000 | Bet now OTB | Bet now +15000 | Bet now +15000 |
Malik Willis | Bet now +10000 | Bet now +5000 | Bet now +5000 | Bet now +8000 |
Ahmad Gardner | Bet now +10000 | Bet now OTB | Bet now +10000 | Bet now +12500 |
Kyle Hamilton | Bet now +10000 | Bet now OTB | Bet now +15000 | Bet now +12500 |
Jermaine Johnson II | Bet now +10000 | Bet now OTB | Bet now OTB | Bet now +12500 |
Zion Johnson | Bet now +20000 | Bet now OTB | Bet now OTB | Bet now +25000 |
Drake London | Bet now +20000 | Bet now OTB | Bet now OTB | Bet now +25000 |
How to bet on first DL drafted
One of the most common NFL Draft prop wagers are those that involve betting on which player will be the first drafted at each position. To find these wagers in an online sportsbook, click the NFL tab to navigate toward the 2021 Draft section. Once there, click on “First Pick by Position” to view the odds.
NFL Draft: 2022 DL profiles
Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
Hutchinson was a problem for opposing offenses all season long, but he became a household name extremely late in the 2021 college football season. He racked up a staggering five sacks against Ohio State and that vaulted him into the Heisman finalist list. Hutchinson has been at the top of first overall draft pick odds tables longer than anyone else this offseason, taking over as soon as the Jaguars tagged tackle Cam Robinson in free agency.
Travon Walker, Georgia
Even after testing with freakish numbers at the NFL Combine and at his Pro Day, Georgia’s Travon Walker was viewed as a mid-first round player. Early in the draft cycle, he even fell outside the first round. Then the steam picked up and vaulted Walker not only to being a consideration for the first overall pick, to being a possibility. His odds dropped like a rock– from OTB to +1500 to +330 to now under +175. If you grabbed Walker earlier on in the draft cycle, you got the best Closing Line Value (CLV) this year.
Heavy rumors surround Walker being the Jaguars’ pick first overall. Even Cris Colinsworth got on board, really sending markets into a frenzy. A great lesson in NFL Draft betting: Follow what plugged in experts say about NFL teams rather than independent scout evaluations. Dane Bruger of The Athletic and Lance Zierlein of NFL.com have been repeating the same information.
Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
Coming out of high school, Thibodeaux has been tagged as a top overall draft pick. After dealing with injuries and having a semi-lackluster third season at Oregon, there were even whispers that he may retract his name in the draft and return to Oregon. Those rumors didn’t pan out and Thibodeaux is still looking like a top-10 pick. Very late draft steam even put him back into the top three conversation, with a slew of mock drafts slotting him in second or third overall.
Odds tables even have him as the favorite to be the second overall pick (+150 at DraftKings Sportsbook, down from +1000 two weeks ago).
Jordan Davis, Georgia
Jordan Davis is often seen as the top non-edge rusher prospect on the defensive line. He won the Outlander Trophy (top lineman, offense or defense) and the Bednarik Award (top defensive player). Davis weighs in at 340 pounds and stands at 6′ 6″ tall. He’s a true anchor in the same vein as the Buccaneers’ Vita Vea, while also posting a perfect 10 in the Relative Athletic Score (RAS). Everything from his 40 time to his vertical and bench press grades out as elite on the RAS scale. A truly scary prospect.
Jermaine Johnson II, Florida State
Johnson is the top pass rushing prospect outside of the top three players. He’s -165 to be a top-10 pick and often associated with the New York Jets at 10. Don’t be surprised, should a run of the top three edge rushers go with the top three picks, to see him drafted at seven to the Giants or eight to the Falcons. Johnson is a very instinctive player with good athletic ability.
NFL Draft DL History
Here is a list of the first DL taken in each NFL Draft going back to 2010.
| Year | Team | Player | College | Pick (No. overall) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Miami | Jaelen Phillips | Miami | 18 |
| 2020 | Washington | Chase Young | Ohio State | 2 |
| 2019 | San Francisco | Nick Bosa | Ohio State | 2 |
| 2018 | Denver | Bradley Chubb | NC State | 5 |
| 2017 | Cleveland | Myles Garrett | Texas A&M | 1 |
| 2016 | San Diego | Joey Bosa | Ohio State | 6 |
| 2015 | NY Jets | Leonard Williams | USC | 3 |
| 2014 | Houson | Jadeveon Clowney | South Carolina | 1 |
| 2013 | Miami | Dion Jordan | Oregon | 3 |
| 2012 | Kansas City | Dontari Poe | Memphis | 11 |
| 2011 | Buffalo | Marcell Dareus | Alabama | 3 |
| 2010 | Detroit | Ndamukong Suh | Nebraska | 2 |
NFL Draft odds, strategy and trends
Last year’s defensive line class was one of the weakest in recent draft cycles. That’s naturally followed up by one of the best, with three heavy hitters at the top of the board. Two pass rushers have been taken first overall since 2014: Myles Garett (2017, Browns) and Jadaveon Clowney (2014, Texans). In two of the last three drafts, pass rushers went second behind a quarterback (Nick Bosa, Chase Young).
With all three teams at the top of the draft in serious need of pass rushers, there’s no reason to think at least two won’t come off the board in the top three picks.