Emery Hunt prefers betting Kansas City to take a defensive lineman at roughly +170 instead of the –125 chalk on offensive line. Hunt argued that the Chiefs still lack a true bookend opposite George Karlaftis and perennial All‑Pro Chris Jones. Last year’s late‑first flyer Felix Anudike‑Uzomah has yet to crack the rotation, leaving a glaring need for an explosive edge. With Patrick Mahomes covering for offensive shortcomings and a deep Day‑2 tackle class available, Hunt expects Brett Veach to grab a pass rusher at 32 and patch the line later. That positional logic plus plus‑money odds makes DL‑Edge his preferred play on Kansas City’s first‑pick market.

Emery Hunt identified Jacksonville at No. 5 as the draft’s "business slot," forecasting that the Jaguars are open for calls and could trade down if another team wants to leapfrog the board after seeing what happens at pick No. 3. Hunt noted Jacksonville’s roster flexibility and desire to add draft capital, suggesting the Jags will entertain offers from any club chasing a premium player—potentially a quarterback or blue‑chip defender—and that bettors should consider props on a trade involving pick 5 or on the Jaguars drafting outside the top five.

Emery Hunt recommended sprinkling the +650 to +800 market on tight end as New York’s first‑drafted position, touting Penn State’s Tyler Warren as the ideal fit. Hunt laid out a long history of mobile quarterbacks leaning on tight ends—Keith Jackson with Randall Cunningham, Bo Scaife with Vince Young, and Cole Kmet with Justin Fields—and expects the pattern to repeat now that Fields is a Jet. Warren’s 6'6" frame, 4.58 forty, and top‑15 run‑block grade among Power‑Five TEs give OC Tanner Engstrand the same inline/slot versatility Ben Johnson exploited in Detroit. Pairing Warren with Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson would, in Hunt’s words, make the AFC East “a track meet” and maximize Fields’ RPO skill set. At current odds, he views TE as a strong contrarian investment versus the heavily juiced offensive‑line favorite.

Emery Hunt advised fading the short odds on a running back and instead betting wide receiver to be Las Vegas’s first selection, spotlighting Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan at pick 6. Hunt argued the production drop‑off from Ashton Jeanty to second‑tier backs Omarion Hampton and TreVeyon Henderson is minimal, whereas the gulf between McMillan and the next X receiver is significant. With only Brock Bowers in the pass‑catching arsenal, Geno Smith desperately needs a boundary target who can win outside the numbers. Hunt called McMillan “the top WR in the class,” citing a 35% college dominator rating and 3.12 yards per route that eclipse Malik Nabers’ marks from 2024. Given Antonio Pierce’s public comments about adding perimeter speed, Hunt sees the +210 to +250 market on WR as the higher‑EV play.

Emery Hunt told viewers to sprinkle long‑shot markets on the Bears jumping from 10 into the 6‑8 range to grab Ashton Jeanty. Hunt argued Chicago’s aggressive off‑season in the trenches frees GM Ryan Pace to package pick 39 plus a future third to leapfrog Las Vegas—Jeanty’s other obvious suitor. He compared the move to Atlanta vaulting for Bijan Robinson last year, pointing out that Ben Johnson’s offense hums with a three‑down back who stresses defenses on wheel routes. Hunt thinks the Bears’ current +600 price to be Jeanty’s landing spot underrates the likelihood they pursue a blue‑chip RB instead of settling for Trayvion Henderson on Day 2.

Emery Hunt said bettors should grab the +175 to +200 range on an offensive lineman being the Saints’ first‑round selection. Hunt noted that Trevor Penning has been a bust at left tackle and All‑Pro right tackle Ryan Ramczyk just retired, leaving two gaping holes up front. He added that new OC Kellen Moore comes from Philly and Dallas— two systems that invest heavily in protection— and Mickey Loomis has taken a trenches player in five of the past six first rounds. Because Spencer Rattler has earned credible NFL backup buzz, Hunt does not expect New Orleans to force a quarterback. In his view, Calvin Banks or Donovan Jackson fits perfectly at pick 9, making OL the value side of this position prop.