NFL Football Betting: 5 Rookies Who Will Impact Super Bowl Odds

The 2021 NFL Draft is on April 29, and one of the more fascinating components of the draft is how it will change not just the balance of power in the NFL, but how it will affect the Super Bowl calculus. How the Jacksonville Jaguars will change based on picking Trevor Lawrence won’t affect the Super Bowl competition in the 2021 NFL season. Similarly, the Jets taking Zach Wilson at No. 2 won’t affect Super Bowl odds at the top end of the board. The teams in the Super Bowl hunt are the ones whose draft selections will be highly scrutinized. Those teams’ draft picks will change the odds for the Super Bowl, so that is what you have to pay attention to.

Trey Lance, Drafted By San Francisco 49ers

This is the kind of pick which will move the needle in terms of Super Bowl odds. It is important to stress that the 49ers have said Jimmy Garoppolo will be their starting quarterback in the 2021 season. Their plan is to play Jimmy G this year and have their new quarterback ready for 2022 if Jimmy G doesn’t play well this coming fall. Therefore, in terms of the 49ers’ 2021 roster, this pick won’t have a big effect unless Garoppolo gets injured. The actual 2021 impact on the field might be slim to none. However, you know that in terms of betting markets and prices, this is going to swing the position of the 49ers relative to other teams. You know a lot of fans and members of the general public might rethink the 49ers (positively or negatively) based on a Lance pick. It’s not so much about whether this pick merits a 2021 change; the focus is on whether this pick will in fact change the odds, and that will very likely happen.

Kyle Pitts, Drafted By Miami Dolphins

If the Miami Dolphins take Kyle Pitts at No. 6, a team which barely missed the AFC playoffs last year would get a big new weapon for quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins might crack the AFC top five as Super Bowl contenders. Miami will get Pitts if the Atlanta Falcons take Penei Sewell at No. 4 and the Cincinnati Bengals take receiver Ja’Marr Chase at No. 5. Pitts would give the Dolphins a big boost in the AFC and register on a Super Bowl-level scale.  

Najee Harris, Drafted By Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are an AFC contender. They were 11-0 last season before crumbling down the stretch. If they give Ben Roethlisberger a quality running back such as Harris in the latter portion of the first round, that will improve their Super Bowl odds. The public will respond favorably to that acquisition if it happens on draft night.

Pat Freiermuth, Drafted By Buffalo Bills

The second-best tight end on the board behind Kyle Pitts is Freiermuth of Penn State. If the Bills grab him and add another noticeable weapon to their already-strong passing game, their Super Bowl odds will go up more than if they draft a linebacker or defensive back.

Alex Leatherwood, Drafted By Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs badly need offensive line help. You saw how badly their offensive line was exposed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive line in Super Bowl LV. If they get a quality lineman from Alabama, the defending national champion of college football, the Chiefs’ Super Bowl odds will slightly improve.