• Despite trading for Jeff Okudah, Falcons should still be in the CB market: Atlanta's depth chart at the position is thin at the moment, particularly after the team released veteran Casey Hayward Jr.
• As QB draft rumors fly, take a chance on Anthony Richardson to Indy: New head coach Shane Steichen was brought to Indianapolis to coach up a young franchise quarterback, and we're not convinced Will Levis is the pick.
Estimated Reading Time: 5 mins
With just over 24 hours until the 2023 NFL Draft finally gets underway, the rumor mill is at a fever pitch. Massive swings in odds will still occur before Carolina is on the clock, and not just because of rumors on Reddit…
We ran this exact piece last year on the same date and went 4-4 at a loss of 1.3 units, with lessons learned — most notably that it is rarely, if ever, a good idea to lay a big price in an extremely uncertain market. This sounds obvious, but with such an inefficient market that is extremely sensitive to mock drafts, podcasts, tweets and Reddit posts, one could surmise there is still value to be found on heavy favorites.
We have half as many plays this year in a much smaller market, with books clearly adjusting their approach. And all of them skew more as dart throws trying to get good value.
All odds posted are as of 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday, April 25
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CB Christian Gonzalez to Atlanta Falcons (6.5/1)
The Atlanta Falcons traded for former Detroit Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah earlier this month, which briefly put to rest the idea that the Falcons may use the No. 8 overall selection on a cornerback. However, they turned around and released veteran Casey Hayward Jr. a few weeks later, which has led to further speculation.
An important wrinkle in the Okudah trade should not go overlooked, with the Falcons requiring the Lions to retain $1.5 million of Okudah’s salary in 2023 to facilitate the move. As a result, Atlanta inherited a one-year, $3.68 million contract for the No. 159 overall pick with a fifth-year option the front office likely won’t exercise.