Bettors looking for a football fix can take a chance on this year?s 2007 NFL draft.
betED is offering odds on who will be selected in the 2007 draft, which gets going this weekend in New York City.
Most are expecting a quieter, more modest draft this year than what took place last spring, when some players picked adopted their new celebrity status a bit too early.
For instance, even before he was drafted, former Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart was on People magazine's list of "100 Most Beautiful People." USC running back Reggie Bush, meanwhile, did a beefcake photo shoot for GQ. And a Sports Illustrated cover featuring former Texas star Vince Young hailed him as "Superman."
This year, the marquee players are: JaMarcus Russell (-275), QB, LSU - An imposing 6-6, 263 pounds who can throw the ball 85 yards; Calvin Johnson (+150), WR, Georgia Tech - A physical (6-4, 237) and athletic pass catcher who has jaw-dropping talent; Brady Quinn , QB, Notre Dame - Thrived under the tutelage of Charlie Weis and his pro-style offense; Adrian Peterson, HB, Oklahoma - A scintillating runner for most of his college career before he broke his collarbone.
"Last year, you kind of had the cover boys of the national championship game (between USC and Texas) with Bush and Leinart," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "So I think you had the confluence of some high-visibility football players that played for high-visibility teams who also happened to be top five picks."
ESPN's draft guru, Mel Kiper Jr., said the 2006 draft lived up to the hype.
"Last year's draft had it all," Kiper said, describing the 2006 crop as "phenomenal."
"You would be hard-pressed to find a (first-round) bust and normally by this point, you already have a couple of guys who haven't surfaced. The majority of those first-rounders were key contributors."
Of last year's 32 first-round picks, 25 either became starters or received substantial playing time as rookies.
"This year's draft is a little different, certainly not as glamorous at the top," Kiper said. "But it has a lot of good players at certain positions."
The most compelling story line of the 2007 draft, which begins Saturday, revolves, as it often does, around two top quarterbacks, LSU's JaMarcus Russell and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. But beyond that, little about this class ? besides Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson ? has generated much pre-draft hype.
betED is offering odds on who will be selected in the 2007 draft, which gets going this weekend in New York City.
Most are expecting a quieter, more modest draft this year than what took place last spring, when some players picked adopted their new celebrity status a bit too early.
For instance, even before he was drafted, former Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart was on People magazine's list of "100 Most Beautiful People." USC running back Reggie Bush, meanwhile, did a beefcake photo shoot for GQ. And a Sports Illustrated cover featuring former Texas star Vince Young hailed him as "Superman."
This year, the marquee players are: JaMarcus Russell (-275), QB, LSU - An imposing 6-6, 263 pounds who can throw the ball 85 yards; Calvin Johnson (+150), WR, Georgia Tech - A physical (6-4, 237) and athletic pass catcher who has jaw-dropping talent; Brady Quinn , QB, Notre Dame - Thrived under the tutelage of Charlie Weis and his pro-style offense; Adrian Peterson, HB, Oklahoma - A scintillating runner for most of his college career before he broke his collarbone.
"Last year, you kind of had the cover boys of the national championship game (between USC and Texas) with Bush and Leinart," NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock said. "So I think you had the confluence of some high-visibility football players that played for high-visibility teams who also happened to be top five picks."
ESPN's draft guru, Mel Kiper Jr., said the 2006 draft lived up to the hype.
"Last year's draft had it all," Kiper said, describing the 2006 crop as "phenomenal."
"You would be hard-pressed to find a (first-round) bust and normally by this point, you already have a couple of guys who haven't surfaced. The majority of those first-rounders were key contributors."
Of last year's 32 first-round picks, 25 either became starters or received substantial playing time as rookies.
"This year's draft is a little different, certainly not as glamorous at the top," Kiper said. "But it has a lot of good players at certain positions."
The most compelling story line of the 2007 draft, which begins Saturday, revolves, as it often does, around two top quarterbacks, LSU's JaMarcus Russell and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. But beyond that, little about this class ? besides Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson ? has generated much pre-draft hype.
