Best Bets to Make on 2020 NFL Draft

• The 2020 NFL Draft begins Thursday night (April 23)
• Will Redskins stand pat at #2, or will they move down the board?
• Read below to find out our five best bets for NFL Draft day

Time is supposed to be an advantage, right?

The COVID-19 outbreak has likely cooped up most bettors for weeks, leaving them plenty of time to prepare for the 2020 NFL Draft. I’m guessing the best of them have researched, read and created their versions of the big board like all the experts, including our own resident mock draft-ologist.

The only problem is, NFL teams — coaches, executives, scouts and all other evaluators of talent — were forced to ride the pine like everyone else. It’s thrown everything for a loop including the actual draft, which kicks off Thursday night via (secure, we hope) virtual video conferencing.

With teams unable to hold private workouts for further evaluation, have more meaningful face-to-face meetings or have their own doctors do additional testing, it sets the stage for what could be one of the most unpredictable drafts in years.

That’s why we’re here. We’ve dug up our best bets for the draft, seeking the best value to get you paid. We begin right after the Joe Burrow shoo-in at No. 1 with a bit of a shocker, which should ruin your draft board like a bracket-busting top seed upset during March Madness.

1. Chase Young Does Not Get Drafted Second Overall

I thought that would grab your attention. For a franchise that once surrendered a king’s ransom to move up to the second overall pick to draft a stud out of Baylor by the name of Robert Griffin III, they are in an excellent position to do the same in 2020.

Chase Young O/U Draft Position

* Odds from April 23

Analysis: I concede that Young is the most talented player in this draft class, and Washington could very well be passing on a generational talent. But for a team that’s not exactly one piece away from the Super Bowl, flipping the pick for a haul from a team flush with assets (hi, Dolphins!) while moving slightly down the board should be their priority. That could turn into another stud in CB Jeff Okudah and one of the cherished O-linemen in the draft.

I’ve now seen either reports or rumors that the Redskins, Lions, Giants, Panthers, Cardinals, and Jaguars are all at the very least entertaining a trade down. Might be a buyer’s market for the #Falcons.

— Mask Up Reader (@RiseUpReader) April 22, 2020

The addition of Young would give the ‘Skins a ridiculously stacked defensive line, but a more rounded roster with additional draft capital down the road sounds pretty good, as does the +700 payout.

2. Receivers: Jeudy-Ruggs-Lamb Go 1-2-3

It’s the richest receiving draft class in years, headlined by Alabama teammates Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs, and Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb. Fishing out their draft order could net a great payday.

First 3 Wide Receivers Drafted – Exact Order

Analysis: It’s widely predicted that by the time the Broncos are finished picking 15th that all three of Jeudy, Ruggs and Lamb will be off the board. And while the Broncos have been linked to both Alabama products, there’s much chatter that John Elway might move up to make sure he grabs Jeudy, who many consider the best receiver in the draft. He had 77 catches for 1,163 yards and 10 scores last year in 13 games.

Lots of chatter about Jerry Jeudy or Henry Ruggs being drafted by the #Broncos, which could end an odd streak:

In nine years, John Elway has never drafted an Alabama player.

Kareem Jackson is the only Alabama alum to have a prominent role for the Broncos during the Elway era.

— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) April 13, 2020

Even if Denver doesn’t move up, the team that locks this for me is Las Vegas, who are perpetually enamoured with speed. That’s something Ruggs has plenty of, posting a 40-yard time of 4.27 seconds. He’s compared to Chiefs’ star Tyreek Hill, and the ability to take the top off the defense vertically has never been more important in the NFL. With the top two receivers off the board, Lamb follows, and you get a +1000 payout.

3. Jalen Hurts Gets Drafted in the Third Round

Somebody give this man a hug, because for as accomplished a resume as Hurts has put together in his college career, he’s getting no love among the top quarterbacks in the draft.

When is Jalen Hurts Drafted?

Analysis: Playing big games on the biggest stage for the biggest programs in college football just doesn’t get you the clout it used to, at least in the case of Jalen Hurts.

He’s led Alabama to a pair of national title games, helping win one. But that win came when he was replaced in the title game — by Tua Tagovailoa. A transfer to Oklahoma for his senior year also produced his best statistical season by far, throwing for over 3,800 yards, averaging a mighty 12.2 yards per attempt, and throwing 32 touchdowns to just eight interceptions while completing close to 70% of his passes.

Jalen Hurts threw an absolute dime to Jauan Jennings for a TD… #SeniorBowl
https://t.co/WGulXsTkaB

— Christopher Reiss (@ReissReport) January 25, 2020

He’s drawing comparisons to Dak Prescott, and it’s fitting, even though Hurts accomplished more in his college career than Dak. There are quarterbacks with more promise and upside in the draft, but given the right circumstances and an offensive coach that can bring out his best qualities, he can shine right out of the gate in the NFL. As much as I think he can slide to the fourth in such a talent-rich pool in the middle of the draft, I have to believe he’s going just a bit earlier.

4. Tua Tagovailoa is Drafted Sixth Overall

What is an NFL Draft story without the intrigue of the ultra-talented but checkered health history surrounding Tua Tagovailoa? Considered one of the most electric players to ever play college football, the last image we have of him on the field was when he was being carted off it with a devastating hip injury.

What Pick Will Tua Tagovaila Be?

Analysis: The player everyone is pulling for has question marks all around him, as team doctors haven’t been able to meet with the Alabama pivot and evaluate his progress from a dislocated hip. If they’re just checking tape though, there’s plenty to like.

In Tagovailoa’s lone full, healthy season as a starter, he threw for just under 4,000 yards, with 43 TD passes to just six interceptions in 15 games. He was on an even more torrid pace this season, having thrown 33 TDs to just three interceptions, while completing 71.4% of his passed and averaging a robust 13.4 yards per attempt in nine games.

I keep hearing about how Tua Tagovailoa is a “risky” NFL Draft pick. Anyway, here’s what happens if you take all the most efficient college football careers of all time and put them on one chart https://t.co/vkoJnseIRC pic.twitter.com/n5h2rN262g

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) April 20, 2020

Simply put, barring injury, it’s likely he’s the first overall pick. But in a draft chock with stars and teams with viable QB options on their roster at the top end of the draft, there’s a chance he could slide out of the top five into the waiting hands of the LA Chargers at six. While I think it’s insane that a top-5 talent could slip out of the top-5, I do like the better odds one spot down.

5. Cowboys Go For Offense in Draft

We end with the always exciting topic of the Dallas Cowboys and what they need versus what Jerry Jones wants.

Dallas Cowboys First Pick Odds

Analysis: Dallas has had a very good free agent haul after sitting out much of the early fireworks, and they’ve hulked up the interior of their defensive line with the additions of Dontari Poe and Gerald McCoy and added a reliable and still relatively young Ha Ha Clinton-Dix at safety. To their credit, they’ve also done a pretty good job at this drafting thing.

Draft fact of day

Since the Ravens' inaugural 1996 season, here are the teams who have drafted the most Pro Bowl players (only counting those who made PB with their original team):

Chiefs 27
Cowboys 26
Packers 26
Ravens 25
Bears 23
Steelers 23

Source: Elias Sports Bureau

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) April 17, 2020

The right play is to probably grab an edge rusher to compliment DeMarcus Lawrence, or to find more defensive backfield help after letting Byron Jones walk in free agency.  Instead, it seems more likely that Dallas will get after the offensive side of the ball, where a bevy of talented receivers await. With Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup already terrorizing secondaries, it might just be too tantalizing a chance to pass up on another potent weapon for Dak Prescott.

But if the Cowboys really want to play chess instead of checkers, they’d be wise to bypass a receiver if one of the top offensive linemen suddenly tumble into the middle of the first round. With Travis Frederick retiring and the once-dominant o-line now above average, injecting new blood would be a nice move — and one that pays you out at +165 odds.