NFL Draft Betting: Who Will Be the First Safety Drafted in 2024?

The 2024 NFL Draft is nearly 24 hours away, ending a long wait for fans to see who their favorite team will add to their roster throughout seven rounds of selections. There are plenty of positions that are receiving a ton of hype entering the draft, including the quarterbacks, wide receivers, and offensive tackles.

One position group that hasn't gotten much coverage in the pre-draft process is the safety position. Over on FanDuel Sportsbook, you can peruse through the NFL Draft odds to find a variety of markets, including one where you can bet on who will be the first safety taken in this year's draft.

With hours to go until the festivities begin, let's take a look at the odds for this year's safety class and discuss the most viable options to be the first safety picked in the 2024 NFL Draft.

NFL Draft Odds

Tyler Nubin (+155)

At the moment, Tyler Nubin out of Minnesota has the shortest odds to be the first safety drafted at +155. Production wasn't an issue for Nubin in college, recording 52-plus combined tackles and three-plus interceptions in each of his final three years with the Golden Gophers.

To finish his collegiate career, Nubin was targeted 20 times and allowed just six receptions for 90 yards across 414 coverage snaps in 2023, via PFF. Those numbers helped him receive the highest coverage grade (90.1) among safeties with 300-plus coverage snaps last season.

According to the NFL Mock Draft Database, Nubin is sitting at No. 47 on the consensus big board. Taking that into account, Nubin is primed to be a potential mid-to-late second-round pick following a productive collegiate tenure at Minnesota.

Javon Bullard (+250)

We've seen plenty of defensive players from Georgia have success in recent years, and Javon Bullard is hoping to be among the next batch of former Bulldogs who lights it up in the NFL. After playing in just six games in 2021, Bullard became a full-time starting safety for Georgia in 2022 and 2023.

In his two seasons as a starter, Bullard accrued 102 combined tackles, eight tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, four interceptions, and 3.5 sacks. While being targeted 26 times in 2023, Bullard permitted 14 receptions for 119 yards on 329 coverage snaps for the Bulldogs.

As a result of those metrics, Bullard was given the seventh-highest coverage grade (88.4) by PFF among safeties. Upon spending three seasons at Georgia, Bullard is slotted into the No. 52 spot in the consensus big board, which also makes him a likely second-round pick in this year's draft.

Jaden Hicks (+430)

Despite earning the lowest coverage grade (84.9) among the safeties mentioned in this article, Jaden Hicks isn't afraid to get involved in the run game from his safety spot. The Washington State product tallied 76-plus combined tackles in each of his final two years for the Cougars while accumulating 10 pass breakups, eight tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in that span.

Hicks did surrender 20 receptions for 170 yards on 31 targets throughout his 427 coverage snaps for Washington State in 2023. However, his 8.5 yards per reception allowed is tied with Bullard for the fewest among the three safeties who are listed within this article.

Being that Hicks is the No. 68 player on the consensus big board, it could be an uphill climb for him to be first safety drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft. At the same time, there doesn't seem to be a consensus No. 1 prospect at a position that teams aren't clamoring to take in the first round in recent years. He may be worth a shot at +430.

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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.