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The NFL Draft is little more than a month away, which apparently means it's time to start locking in your bets for who the Patriots will select No. 14 overall.
Some oddsmakers are already predicting an offensive pick for New England after a subpar 2022 on that side of the ball. In particular, the smart money is on the offensive tackles.
On Bookies.com, Ohio State's Paris Johnson Jr. (+350 odds, 22.22 percent implied probability) is the clubhouse leader to be the Patriots' top pick at No. 14 next month, edging out Georgia tackle Broderick Jones (+400, 20 percent).
"Ohio State’s Paris Johnson has the size and quickness that coach Bill Belichick has preferred at the position. There’s more potential in Johnson, but it may take longer to realize it than some of the other top OT prospects," Bookies NFL writer Adam Thompson said.
While Northwestern's Peter Skoronski (+500, 16.67 percent) might be the most NFL-ready of all the top tackles, there's a solid chance he's off the board by the time the Patriots pick. He might even be the ninth overall pick to the Chicago Bears, who also need offensive line help.
After that, both the Titans and Jets are frequently projected to take an offensive tackle, which may swipe Johnson and Jones from the board. If that's the case, Darnell Wright (+600, 14.29 percent) could be the play and would fit very well with the Patriots as a Day 1 right tackle.
Then, there's the fainter possibility of taking a wide receiver like USC's Jordan Addison (+600, 14.29 percent), Johnson's OSU teammate Jaxon Smith-Njigba (+700, 12.5 percent) or TCU's Quentin Johnston (+1200, 7.69 percent) with that pick as well, though the Patriots have only drafted one first-round receiver under Bill Belichick.
If you're a Zay Flowers guy or think the Patriots will go with a top cornerback if they miss out on a tackle, taking the field doesn't have bad odds either (+625, 13.79 percent).
That said, the Patriots typically love building through the middle on draft day, especially offensive tackle. Like I said, that's where the smart money's at, and Johnson especially could be a monster at the position for years to come.
