NFL Draft bets: Mr. Irrelevant will likely play this position

As sports betting has become legal in more and more states across the country, the NFL draft has grown into an increasingly bigger market for bettors everywhere. You can now bet on the over/under draft position for specific prospects, the position teams will pick in the first round and even the specific player teams will select. 

One of the most fascinating NFL Draft betting markets revolves around Mr. Irrelevant, which is the monicker given to the final pick in the seventh round of every draft. That's right, you can actually be on which position will become Mr. Irrelevant in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Here's what the current Mr. Irrelevant market looks like on DraftKings:

Quarterback +300
Defensive line/edge +500
Offensive lineman +500
Wide receiver +650
Cornerback +650
Linebacker +800
Running back +1000
Safety +1100
Tight end +1300
Kicker/punter/long snapper +1600

So, is there a valuable bet to make in this unique market? Well, let's look at the history. Dating back to 2000, the most popular position for Mr. Irrelevant has actually been tight end with five selections. Four have been wide receivers, four have been linebackers, four have been defensive backs, three have been defensive linemen and three have been quarterbacks. Essentially, there's no pattern here.

If you're looking to attack this market, it's more useful to look at the team's needs and how their general manager operates. The New York Jets have the final pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which leads us to the defensive side of the ball. General Manager Joe Douglas has been in charge of four drafts for the Jets, and nine of his 12 picks in the fifth round or later have been defensive players. Four of them were cornerbacks, and three of them were linebackers.

Linebacker isn't a valued position in today's NFL, so it makes perfect sense for Douglas to wait until the later rounds to take a few shots on the position. At +800, we think LB is the most valuable bet in the Mr. Irrelevant market.