3 Best Defensive Player Bets for the 2025 NFL Draft

We are nearly 24 hours away from draft night as the Tennessee Titans eagerly await to be the first team on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

As usual, plenty of talk is surrounding quarterbacks. This includes FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL Draft odds listing Cameron Ward as the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick (-20000), and drama surrounds Shedeur Sanders as his over/under draft position now sits at 21.5.

This class isn't all about offense, though. We could see as many as three defensive players selected in the top five. Plus, the defensive line class has been hailed as one of the best in years while the cornerback group features a few potential first-rounders.

Among FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL Draft odds, what are the best defensive player bets for the 2025 NFL Draft?

NFL Draft Prop Bets for Defensive Players

Mason Graham to Be a Top 5 Pick (+180)

Starting with those potential top-five picks. Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter feel like near layups to be top-three selections. Offensive tackle Will Campbell is also -450 to be the No. 4 overall pick. The fifth selection -- held by the Jacksonville Jaguars -- is where things get interesting.

Mason Graham has been linked to the Jags at five since the picks became set after the regular season. However, phenom running back Ashton Jeanty has made a push for the fifth spot, surpassing Graham as the favorite, with -170 odds to go No. 5, compared to Graham at +210.

Frankly, this feels like prospect fatigue. Graham has been viewed as a top-five prospect for virtually the entire process. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com ranks the DT fourth on his big board while Mel Kiper of ESPN has Graham third. Graham and Jeanty are essentially 1A and 1B on big boards, often occupying the third- and fourth-highest spots.

Still, the fit of Graham in Jacksonville makes sense. Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby are a solid running back tandem, and Bigsby showed a ton of promise in his second season despite not getting consistent volume. Meanwhile, the Jags' defense finished 25th in Pro Football Focus' pass rush grade. Graham is an excellent three-technique rusher who would immediately address this need.

The idea of Jeanty being a top-five selection mostly leans on potential trades. Jordan Schultz reported multiple teams within the top 10 could be looking to trade down, adding more hype to the Chicago Bears possibly looking to trade up for Jeanty. But perhaps the Jaguars will be hesitant to trade back considering the ideal fit of Graham.

Jalon Walker to Be Number 8 Overall Pick (-110)

Prior to draft night, I'm hanging my hat on mock picks we've seen for months. One of those is linebacker prospect Jalon Walker to the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 overall.

While some spots may list Walker as a linebacker, he figures to be an edge rusher at the next level. Jeremiah ranks Walker as the fifth-best prospect, highlighting Jalon's elite athleticism as a rusher. Of course, Carolina has cleared house at edge rusher of late.

The Panthers have some hope going forward after Bryce Young progressed in 2024, but they must address perhaps the second-most important position in football.

After Carolina ranked last in PFF's pass rush grade last season, Walker feels like a no-brainer if he's available. Our Austin Swaim mocked Walker to the Panthers in our latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft. According to NFL Mock Draft Database, Walker has been the most popular Carolina mock pick by a good margin.

As Walker's big board rankings suggest, the biggest danger for this pick may be Walker going earlier than expected. But Walker to go No. 8 is one of my top defensive players bets.

Jahdae Barron Under 17.5 Draft Position (-126)

We mentioned a few cornerbacks who should hear their names called on Thursday night. Leaning on big board rankings can help us circle some good values available. This includes cornerback Jahdae Barron of Texas.

Jeremiah ranks Barron 10th overall on his big board. Frankly, this isn't outlandish by any means as Todd McShay ranks Barron 14th while our Austin Swaim has Barron 11th in our most recent 2025 NFL Draft Big Board.

Barron's competition to go under his 17.5 draft position likely relies on going ahead of Michigan's Will Johnson. Barron is currently -165 to be the first defensive back selected (excluding Travis Hunter) while Johnson is +155. Assuming Barron is the second defensive back off the board behind Hunter, I don't see us going from Hunter likely being taken No. 2 overall all the way to Barron going 18th or later.

There's enough cornerback-needy teams for Barron to go before pick 18. For example, NFL Mock Draft Database has the Miami Dolphins at 13th overall for Barron's as the CB's most popular mock. He's also 15th overall in the 2025 consensus mock draft.

I'm buying that Barron is the second-best corner of this class. If that's the case, under 17.5 picks is a solid bet.

Do you know which position your favorite team is drafting? Which players will be first-round picks? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest NFL Draft odds to check every market available on the NFL's marquee offseason event.

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