There’s a surprise name skyrocketing up NFL Draft boards.
Offensive tackle JC Latham has crashed the party as a potential top-five draft pick, according to Vegas oddsmakers, just days after being projected to go outside the first 10 selections.
The Alabama product is now a +200 favorite at BetMGM to go No. 5 overall, where the Jim Harbaugh-led Los Angeles Chargers are slotted to pick.
It’s been a rapid rise for Latham, who has consistently been projected to be the second O-lineman off the board behind Notre Dame’s Joe Alt until recent days.
Earlier this week, Latham’s draft position over/under was sitting at 14.5 – hardly the marker of a top-five pick – although some juice was on the Under (-142).
His over/under has now crashed to 10.5, with even more action on the Under (-200).
Latham’s name may be gaining steam in the No. 5 pick conversation, but oddsmakers are still picking Alt as the safe choice to be the first offensive lineman selected, giving the latter -350 odds to be that player.
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy (+275) and Alt (+300) are two other names in the mix to go at No. 5, per BetMGM.
The Chargers-Latham connection took off Thursday morning, just hours away from Roger Goodell taking the stage, after draft experts such as ESPN’s Field Yates, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah and Peter Schrager had Latham going to LA in their final mocks.
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What Harbaugh will do Thursday night has been one of the toughest variables to pin down for oddsmakers ahead of the draft.
Odds on the Chargers to draft a quarterback suddenly moved dramatically from 100/1 down to +600 on Wednesday after Mike Greenberg argued during a segment on ESPN that the team could select McCarthy and trade current starting quarterback Justin Herbert.
The Chargers have also been rumored to be in the market for a wide receiver or tight end in the draft at points this spring.
