The Titans have a massive hole at left tackle, and with the No. 7 pick, are well-positioned to grab a tackle, most likely Joe Alt of Notre Dame. Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

NFL Draft bets: AFC South betting odds for each team's first pick

The AFC South was an intriguing division in 2023. We saw an all-time collapse with everyone's preseason pick in the Jacksonville Jaguars. We watched as the Houston Texans took control of the division with C.J. Stroud, a spot they seem poised to hold on to for the foreseeable future. We also had Indianapolis play quite well despite losing Anthony Richardson early in the season.

All four teams have their QBs, and this should be another competitive year. As the NFL Draft fast approaches, we're going around the league to find the best bets for each team's first draft selection. Let's poke around the AFC South to see what we can find.

Odds are courtesy of DraftKings.

Position of 1st Drafted Player: AFC South edition

Houston Texans

The favorites:

  • Offensive Lineman (+150)
  • Defensive Line/EDGE (+210)
  • Cornerback (+275)

Due to trading up for Will Anderson last season and a trade with Minnesota last month, Houston does not own a first-round pick this year. Instead, the Texans own two second-round picks, with the first coming at No. 42.

As we've mentioned with a few other teams that don't have first-round picks, this market is much more difficult to pin down when you'll have to wait so long for the team to make a selection. It's harder to project who will be available when it's time for Houston to go on the clock.

With that disclaimer established, we like looking to the defensive side of the ball here. We do see a need here for some interior offensive line help for C.J. Stroud and this Texans offense, but if Houston is going to take that leap, their defense needs to get better.

With a defensive-minded head coach in DeMeco Ryans, we could see him pounding for the table for some young defensive talent, so we'll opt for DL to be the pick here.
 
Our choice: Defensive line/EDGE (+210)


Tennessee Titans

The favorites:

  • Offensive Lineman (-330)
  • Wide Receiver (+370)
  • Defensive line/EDGE (+650)

This is unfortunately one of those spots that is unbettable, but hey, that's why we're covering every single NFL team.

The Titans have a massive hole at left tackle, and with the No. 7 pick, are well-positioned to grab a tackle, most likely Joe Alt of Notre Dame. At this price, there's really no bet to make.

Our choice: N/A (Offensive lineman at -330)


Jacksonville Jaguars

The favorites:

  • Cornerback (-150)
  • Wide Receiver (+200)
  • Offensive lineman (+650)

Jacksonville is favored to either draft a corner or WR, and at No. 17 there are plenty of CB prospects expected to be available.

We kind of like to go far against the grain with this one and focus on the trenches. Head coach Doug Pederson knows just how important line play is in this league, with that being the leading reason the Eagles won the Super Bowl with him at the helm back in 2018.

There is a need on the offensive line, and despite employing Josh Allen, who had 17.5 sacks last year, the Jags were dead last in sacks last season. We see this as a nice opportunity for value by spreading our net on a lineman in any form being the first pick for Jacksonville.

Our choice: Offensive lineman (+650) and Defensive Line/EDGE  (+700)


Indianapolis Colts

The favorites:

  • Cornerback (+110)
  • Wide Receiver (+225)
  • Tight End (+370)

The Colts should be a fun team to watch in 2024, as their top pick last season, QB Anthony Richardson, is healthy and set to lead the team. This season is an important one to properly understand just how good of a player Richardson can become under center, and it's that read that charts our path in this betting market.

Wide receiver is most definitely a need for Indy and should be addressed with one of their first picks. They still have Michael Pittman Jr., but they could definitely stand to add another pass-catching option for Richardson and this offense.

If they wanted to secure one of the top options that they've been rumored to be interested in (Malik Nabers, Brock Bowers), they would have to trade up. If they don't make a move up the board, LSU WR Brian Thomas could project here at No. 15.

The best way to evaluate a young QB is to give him strong options to work with, so while corner is a need, along with an edge rusher, we'll roll the dice that the Colts go WR to start things off.

Our choice: Wide Receiver (+225)

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