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3 Teams Whose Super Bowl Odds Improved After 2020 NFL Draft

Chris Amberley

by Chris Amberley in NFL Football

Updated Apr 27, 2020 · 9:00 AM PDT

Dallas Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup will makeup the best three wide receiver set in the NFL. Photo by @DemBoyz_News
  • The Cowboys, 49ers and Lions all saw their Super Bowl odds shortened after the 2020 NFL Draft
  • Dallas’ odds went from +2800 to +2000 after an incredible draft
  • See below for analysis on whether the new price for each of these three teams is justified

Online sportsbooks didn’t waste any time declaring “winners” after the 2020 NFL Draft. Dallas, San Francisco and Detroit all saw their championship price tag shortened following the Draft, but it’s the Cowboys’ fanbase that should be the most excited.

Is America’s Team Back?

Christmas came early for Jerry Jones and America’s team. Dallas absolutely crushed this year’s draft, and as a result their Super Bowl 55 odds have been slashed from +2800 to +2000.

Dallas Cowboys Super 55 Odds

Odds on April 23, 2020 Odds on April 25, 2020
+2800 +2000

All odds taken on April 25th.

It all started when CeeDee Lamb inexplicably fell to them at pick number 17. Lamb was the top wide receiver on the Cowboys’ board (and number six on their board overall), yet somehow was passed over 16 times before Dallas pulled the trigger.

Lamb is coming off a season in which he racked up 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns on just 62 receptions. He’s the only player in college football who averaged 20+ yards per catch on at least 60 targets, and no collegiate receiver has put up better stats since 2018.

Numerous experts had him as the highest rated wideout ahead of Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy, so for Dallas to swipe him where they did is an absolute steal. The Cowboys were already rated number two on offense by DVOA last season, and now will trot out the best three wide receiver set in football.

Imagine trying to stop an offense that features Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, Lamb, Blake Jarwin and Zeke Elliott out of the backfield. Dak Prescott has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal and if that’s all Dallas accomplished in this year’s Draft, their odds movement would still have been justified.

But not only did the Cowboys add one of the most dynamic playmakers available to their roster, they also made serious upgrades elsewhere.

At pick 51 they grabbed cornerback Trevon Diggs out of Alabama who was rated 20 spots higher by Pro Football Focus. He was PFF’s highest graded corner in press coverage in 2019, and Dallas was so high on him they would have considered him in the first round had Lamb not fallen.

Diggs will be expected to fill the gap left by the departure of Byron Jones, but if you think that was the end of the Cowboys’ masterclass you’d be mistaken. Dallas proceeded to grab defensive tackle Neville Gallimore at pick 82, a player PFF had rated in the early 50’s. The 6-foot-2, 304 pounder ran a 4.79 40-yard dash and will compliment the interior of the Dallas d-line that also includes Gerald McCoy.

Dallas also added more depth at corner with pick 123 grabbing Reggie Robinson from Tulsa, and traded back into the fourth round to grab center Tyler Biadasz from Wisconsin.

All in all, the Cowboys addressed major needs and made significant improvements to an already talented team. Their new price tag feels justified and fans should expect them to be a Super Bowl contender in 2020.

49ers Flex a Little Muscle

Speaking of Super Bowl contenders, last season’s NFC representative made headlines over the past three days at the Draft and in the trade market. The 49ers found an immediate replacement for DeForest Buckner and added another playmaker for Jimmy G in the first round. They then proceeded to solidify their offensive line by acquiring All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams.

Prior to all this action, the Niners’ Super Bowl odds were +1200, the shortest in the NFC. That number is now history, and San Fran checks in at +1000, behind only Kansas City and Baltimore.

San Francisco 49ers Super 55 Odds

Odds on April 23, 2020 Odds on April 25, 2020
+1200 +1000

The 49ers were already bringing back the majority of the team that fell just short of glory in 2019, and they’ve now replaced (and in some cases upgraded) every significant piece that’s departed. They’re the class of the NFC, and their new price tag should probably be shorter than it is.

How Much Bite Will the Lions Have in 2020?

The last team that saw their Super Bowl odds improve is the Lions, but there’s reason to be skeptical. Yes, they did add the best corner in the draft Jeff Okudah, but the rest of the moves they made are puzzling.

Detroit Lions Super 55 Odds

Odds on April 23, 2020 Odds on April 25, 2020
+15000 +10000

Detroit went running back in the second round, grabbing Georgia’s D’Andre Swift, even though they spent a second round pick on Kerryon Johnson just two years ago.

They ignored their biggest need, defensive tackle, until the final two rounds when they proceeded to draft back-to-back interior linemen who project merely as backups. The Lions also surprisingly took a receiver in the fifth round, when that position group appears to be solidified by Kenny Golladay, Mavin Jones, Danny Amendola and Marvin Hall.

At +10000 they’re an extreme long shot as it is, but on paper there’s not enough reason to be optimistic about their playoff chances, let alone their Super Bowl prospects. They’re at best the third most talented team in their own division (but most likely the fourth) and they don’t belong anywhere near the championship conversation.

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