Early Odds to Get First Overall Pick in 2020 NFL Draft; Dolphins Listed as Favorites
- The Miami Dolphins are favored to pick first overall in the 2020 NFL Draft
- Miami selected Michigan T Jake Long first overall in 2008
- That’s the only time the Dolphins ever held the no. 1 pick in the draft
Like Drake, last season the Miami Dolphins started from the bottom. In its NFL power rankings at the launch of the 2018 season, ESPN listed the Dolphins 32nd overall, the worst team in the league.
Miami didn’t end up there. The Dolphins finished 7-9 and selected 13th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.
No matter. The football experts once more aren’t fussy about the Fins. In its most recent NFL power rankings, the Sporting News again starts the Dolphins off at the bottom, ranking them 32nd in the league.
The sportsbooks are also jumping on the dismal Dolphins’ bandwagon. Oddsmakers rate Miami as the best bet to earn the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Odds To Pick First Overall in 2020 NFL Draft
| Team | Odds to Pick 1st Overall in 2020 NFL Draft |
|---|---|
| Miami Dolphins | +250 |
| Arizona Cardinals | +300 |
| New York Giants | +300 |
| Oakland Raiders | +400 |
| Washington Redskins | +400 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | +600 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | +900 |
| Buffalo Bills | +1000 |
| Detroit Lions | +2000 |
| New York Jets | +2000 |
| San Francisco 49ers | +2000 |
| Denver Broncos | +2500 |
| Carolina Panthers | +4000 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | +4000 |
| Tennessee Titans | +4000 |
| Cleveland Browns | +5000 |
| The Field (any other team) | +1000 |
Odds taken on 05/09/19.
Miami has picked first overall in the NFL Draft just once. In 2008, following a 1-15 campaign, the Dolphins selected Michigan tackle Jake Long with the no. 1 overall pick. Long was a four-time Pro Bowl player.
Will Dolphins Be Swimming With The Fishes?
There were reports even before the Dolphins hired New England defensive coordinator Brian Flores to be their new head coach that they intended to tank the season and focus on the 2020 NFL Draft.
Dolphins gearing up for 2020 NFL Draft in a major way, equipped to get a QB then if they want.
Dolphins now have additional 2nd-, 4th-, 6th- and 7th-round picks in the 2020 Draft.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 27, 2019
There seems to be some merit to this theory.
Since the end of the 2018 season, the Dolphins jettisoned the contracts of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, running back Frank Gore, guard Josh Sitton, wide receiver Danny Amendola, tackle Ja’Wuan James, and defensive ends Andre Branch, William Hayes and Cameron Wake.
Defensive end Robert Quinn was also traded to the Dallas Cowboys.
From @NFLTotalAccess: The trade for new #Cowboys pass-rusher Robert Quinn is official, adding help on the edge and landing Quinn in his preferred location. pic.twitter.com/EJ2h6UJL2Y
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 28, 2019
That freed up more than $35 million in cap space. By 2020, the contracts of Tannehill and Ndamukong Suh come off the books. Miami will be sitting $100 million under the salary cap.
So Why Trade For Josh Rosen?
The one obvious wrench in this plan for the Fins to sink was the move to add QB Josh Rosen in a draft-day deal with the Arizona Cardinals.
Rosen was a top-10 pick in the 2018 draft and has tremendous upside. How quickly that potential transforms into performance would appear to be the issue with Rosen.
Want to take a second to thank the people of Miami and Dolphins fans everywhere for the warm welcome, I feel the love from you all and I can’t tell you enough how much it means to me. So happy to be here and so excited to work. pic.twitter.com/J1HWjy3eK1
— Josh Rosen (@josh3rosen) May 3, 2019
The problem with tanking for No. 1 overall in 2020 is that it’s obvious the pick will be a QB, Alabama’s Tui Tagovailoa.
Miami makes Tua Tagovailoa the first overall pick in @McShay13's way-too-early 2020 NFL mock draft.
E+: https://t.co/Q03loKBvct pic.twitter.com/saoowdUc9k
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 2, 2019
If you’re tanking for Tua, why trade for Rosen?
A Capital Notion
A year ago, the New York Jets were supposed to be in tank mode. They ended up going 5-11. Last season, the Dolphins were 31st in the NFL in offense and 29th in defense and still went 7-9.
In the dreadful AFC East, they are certain to stumble into some undeserved wins.
Missing football today like we are? Go ahead and relive the greatest finish of the 2018 season, when the @MiamiDolphins pulled off a Miracle in Miami. pic.twitter.com/TLvCW39ud4
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) May 8, 2019
The Dolphins aren’t the biggest disaster area in the NFL. You want to see a terribly-run operation, check out the nation’s capital.
Washington is such a dumpster fire that fans wish the organization could run as smoothly as the the Trump Administration.
ESPN released new projections for 2019. Have Redskins with 10 percent chance of playoffs, 6.2 wins.
Article here: https://t.co/asw8prWv8X pic.twitter.com/EyRc9yZzLp— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) May 9, 2019
If you want to bet on a hot mess ending up at the bottom of the NFL and picking first in the draft, Washington is the team to back.
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
