It probably isn’t a big surprise which two positions top the betting market to become the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first-round pick, but the rest of the list might surprise you. Defensive Line (+180) and quarterback (+225) lead the way by a good margin, via DraftKings Sportsbook compiled by CBS Sports.
Via implied odds calculations, the betting market gives d-line a 35.7-percent chance of being the Steelers’ first-round pick and quarterback a 30.77-percent chance. That bucket represents about two-thirds of the likely outcomes, according to the market.
Based on the Steelers’ interest throughout the pre-draft process, that would include prospects like Derrick Harmon, Kenneth Grant, Darius Alexander, Shedeur Sanders and Jaxson Dart.
If I had to guess which position would be next, I would probably go with running back or wide receiver, but neither of those two positions are in third or even fourth place. In third is cornerback (+450) followed by offensive lineman (+500). That represents an 18.2- and 16.7-percent chance respectively of those two positions being the Steelers’ first-round pick.
The Steelers really only showed significant interest in two borderline first-round corners with FSU’s Azareye’h Thomas and Ole Miss’ Trey Amos coming in for pre-draft visits. Benjamin Morrison and Will Johnson could be sleepers on that list based on Pro Day stops as well. As for offensive linemen, the Steelers didn’t speak to very many of them at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine and they also only hosted local prospect Wyatt Milum for a pre-draft visit.
Here is the full chart compiled by CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan.
| Position | R1 Odds |
|---|---|
| Defensive line/EDGE | +180 |
| Quarterback | +225 |
| Cornerback | +450 |
| Offensive lineman | +500 |
| Running back | +800 |
| Wide receiver | +1100 |
| Safety | +1500 |
| Linebacker | +2800 |
| Tight end | +4000 |
| Kicker/punter/long snapper | +25000 |
Inexplicably the betting market sees running back (+800) as just an 11.1-percent chance of happening. Along with d-line, that is the group that the Steelers have shown the most interest in throughout the pre-draft process. You could argue they did their homework on a wide range of prospects, but they also hosted Omarion Hampton, TreVeyon Henderson, and Quinshon Judkins, who are all near the top of the RB class.
While there are still plenty of people who would like to see a first-round wide receiver (+1100), those odds make more sense to me after the trade for DK Metcalf in March.
Running back seems far and away the best value, according to the odds and the Steelers’ pre-draft interest in prospects. While these odds have no better insight than you or me tracking along at home, Vegas oddsmakers are pretty darn good at their jobs. It feels like they nailed it with d-line and quarterback leading the way.
