NFL Draft odds: How many QBs will be taken in the first round?

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Quarterbacks are expected to fly off the board early in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and Mac Jones are considered locks to be selected in the first round. After those five, there's a sizable question mark at the QB position.

The over/under set by oddsmakers for the number of quarterbacks taken on Day 1 is 5.5. The over is +300 while the under is favored at -400 -- odds provided by our partner, PointsBet Sportsbook. In case you're looking to place a wager on that prop, NBC Sports Boston's DJ Bean believes the value on the OVER is too good to pass up.

PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.

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"I think it's 50/50 that it's going to be five or six, so given the odds I'm absolutely going over there," Bean said. "We all know the five of them are going to go, Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, and Mac Jones. Those are obviously going to be gone by let's say 15, 17, whatever it may be. There's a lot of teams after where the Patriots are picking, Washington, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Philadelphia could move up, New Orleans is there, if the Patriots don't get their guy at 15, maybe the Patriots move back up.

"There isn't a consensus No. 6 quarterback in this draft, but you've seen Chris Simms all over Kellen Mond. If any of those teams want to get their quarterback, I don't think they can say 'we'll wait for the second round of the third round because maybe they're gonna fall there.' ... If any of those teams really like Kellen Mond and Fields and all those guys are gone, you've got to take him in the first round. Plus, you can't rule out the added incentive of taking a quarterback in the first round given that fifth-year option."

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The second tier of QBs in this year's draft -- Mond, Jamie Newman, Kyle Trask, and Davis Mills -- are expected to go off the board on Day 2. Bean's case for the OVER, however, is a valid one. There is no shortage of QB-needy teams in the league and if those teams hope to bring in their next guy, they may have to reach for them ahead of their projected draft position.

The 2021 NFL Draft is set to begin April 29.

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