NFL Draft Prop: +230 bet on the Eagles' first pick

One of the more compelling NFL Draft betting markets available is betting which position a team will draft with their first pick. The 2023 NFL Draft is set to start on April 27, so the time is now to grab some value on the board.

Today, let's focus in on the Philadelphia Eagles. Bear in mind, I am an Eagles fan myself, which should convey not bias but rather an intimate connection to the team's needs and organizational beliefs.

Betting: Eagles to Draft Offensive Lineman First (+230 FanDuel)

Earlier this week, OL was +340 to be Philly's first pick, and has since started to jump up the board, now just behind Defensive Lineman/EDGE at -125. 

On paper, Philly's most immediate needs for starters are at linebacker and safety, but those are two positions that the front office does not tend to allocate serious resources towards. Free agent stopgaps have been added, and the positions are likely to be addressed in the middle rounds, but do not expect this team to draft for need with their first pick, which is currently No. 10.

The Eagles build through the trenches. All five of their starting offensive linemen from last year were drafted by the team, and a majority of their defensive line are also homegrown talent. Since 2003, 12 of the teams' 17 first round picks have been on linemen.

A bet here is on the Eagles to take an Offensive Lineman, with tackle being a likely option. There are a handful of elite prospects near the top of the draft, with Paris Johnson and Broderick Jones two popular names being mocked inside the top-12. Peter Skoronski is another name in the mix, although he may slot in at guard at the next level.

Yes, the Eagles are set at their five starting OL spots at this point in the offseason, but their depth is troubling. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, an injury to either Jordan Mailata or Lane Johnson could derail their season quickly.

Johnson has gone on record saying that he would like to play only two more years, so now would be a logical chance for Philly to get a succession plan in place. They did the same in 2019, drafting OT Andre Dillard to take over for Jason Peters. That didn't work out, but luckily they stole Mailata in the 7th round to make up for it.

Just last season, Philly took center Cam Jurgens in the second round to take over for Jason Kelce one day. They have not shied away from investing resources into players who may not see the field right away, and an OL selection here to start their draft is a very on-brand pick and one rooted in a very real need.

Grab Philly to take OL first at +230, and we'll have plenty more NFL Draft picks here at Yardbarker the next few weeks.