NFL Draft Betting: How Many Tight Ends Will Be Drafted in the First Round?

The NFL Draft, which starts on Thursday, April 27th, is just days away and FanDuel Sportsbook has plenty of odds markets available.

One of the markets available is how many tight ends will be selected in Round 1. The line is set at 2.5 with -280 odds on the under and a number of +198 on the over.

Let's take a look at the outlook for tight ends in Round 1.

All NFL Draft odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

According to Grinding the Mocks, three tight ends have an expected draft position (EDP) inside the first 40 picks. Those three are Dalton Kincaid (21.9 EDP), Michael Mayer (23.4), and Darnell Washington (38.2).

The only other tight end with an EDP inside the first two rounds is Luke Musgrave (47.1).

Barring a sudden change, Darnell Washington being selected in Round 1 appears to be the key to this bet.

Michael Mayer currently has the best odds to be the first tight end off the board (-160). Mayer played three seasons at Notre Dame and was productive in his final two, catching 71 passes for 840 yards (11.8 yards per reception) and 7 touchdowns as a sophomore and 67 receptions for 809 yards (12.1 yards per reception) and 9 touchdowns as a junior.

The over/under on his draft spot is 21.5, with the over set at -225 and the under at +164. Mayer is a longshot (+5000) to be a top 10 pick, and the team most likely to select him is the Dallas Cowboys (+370) followed by the Green Bay Packers (+500) and Detroit Lions (+600).

Dalton Kincaid has the second-best odds to be the first tight end off the board (+125). Unlike Mayer, who has been considered a first-round pick for all of draft season, Kincaid has slowly risen up mock draft boards since the start of the year.

Kincaid transferred to Utah in 2021 after impressing at San Diego and caught 70 passes for 890 yards (12.7 yards per reception) and 8 touchdowns last season. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. listed Kincaid as his 19th-best prospect in this year's draft class, higher than Mayer (32nd). The over/under on Kincaid's draft spot is 24.5 with the over set at -108 and the under at -122.

Darnell Washington has the third-best odds to be the first tight end off the board (+1200). Washington played three seasons as a Georgia Bulldog and caught 28 passes for 454 yards (16.2 yards per reception) and 2 touchdowns in his final season. He came in at No. 38 on Mel Kiper Jr.'s prospect rankings. His odds to be selected in the first round currently sit at +200 with implied odds of 33.3%.

In addition to the profiles of the prospects, an important question to consider is how many teams need a tight end, and what are the odds they would take one with their first pick?

Four teams have tight end included in the top three of their position of first player drafted player odds. They are the Cincinnati Bengals (+200), Dallas Cowboys (+175), Green Bay Packers (+340), and Los Angeles Chargers (+280). The Packers (13th pick), Cowboys (26th pick), and Bengals (28th pick) all have tight end as their most likely, or tied as their most likely, first-round pick.

How you feel about the potential for Darnell Washington to be taken in the later stages of Round 1 should determine which side of this bet you're on.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.