Offense at least helps win championships.
While the defensive side of the ball has long been regarded as the side that secures championship hardware, NFL teams have been putting an equal onus on offense in recent years.
Last year’s draft is an example, with 23 offensive players being selected out of the 32 first-round picks.
Let’s take a look at the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, as of April 4, for offensive selections in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Offensive players selected in first round
Over 15.5: +115 (bet $10 to win $21.50 total)
Under 15.5: -145 (bet $10 to win $16.90 total)
Offensive linemen selected in first round
Over 6.5: +225 (bet $10 to win $32.50 total)
Under 6.5: -300 (bet $10 to win $13.33 total)
Quarterbacks selected in first round
Over 2.5: -320 (bet $10 to win $13.13 total)
Under 2.5: +235 (bet $10 to win $33.50 total)
Running backs selected in first round
Over 2.5: +240 (bet $10 to win $34 total)
Under 2.5: -330 (bet $10 to win $13.03 total)
Wide receivers selected in first round
Over 2.5: -275 (bet $10 to win $13.64 total)
Under 2.5: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
To be fair, the 2024 NFL Draft was a bit of an anomaly.
A defensive player was not selected until the 15th pick — the Colts took UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu — and six of the first 12 selections were quarterbacks, including the first three picks.
The previous high for offensive players selected in the first round was 19, and 2024 was the first time in NFL history that the first 10 picks were all on the offensive side of the ball.
In 2023, 15 of 31 first-round picks were offensive players, and in 2022, 16 of 32 first-round picks were offensive players.
NFL Mock Draft: How many quarterbacks taken in the first round?
FOX Sports betting analyst Geoff Schwartz (a former offensive lineman himself) recently released his latest 2025 NFL mock draft, and he has 16 or 17 offensive players going in the first round, depending on if Travis Hunter plays wide receiver or cornerback in the NFL.
In his latest mock draft, FOX Sports NFL Draft analyst also has 16 or 17 offensive guys going in Round 1, once again dependent on Hunter’s positioning.
In terms of specific positions, in 2024, the six QBs taken in the first round tied an NFL Draft record, and it was the first time four quarterbacks went in the top eight, the first time five quarterbacks went in the top 10, and the first time six quarterbacks went in the top 12.
Lastly, in 2024, the eight offensive linemen selected in the first round tied an NFL record, as did the seven wide receivers selected in Round 1.
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