Odds Say Vikings Won’t Draft a Wide Receiver in First Round of 2020 NFL Draft
- The Minnesota Vikings traded away Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills.
- The Vikings have two first round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft (No. 22 and No. 25).
- See below for why there could be good value on betting ‘Yes’ for this prop.
The Minnesota Vikings traded away disgruntled wideout Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills this offseason in a package that included a first round pick. Many people have surmised that the Vikings will use that pick to draft a wideout and now online sportsbooks have posted betting props asking that very question. Is there value betting on them to do it?
Minnesota Vikings 2020 NFL Draft Odds
| Will Vikings Draft A Receiver In 1st Round Of 2020 NFL Draft? | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +350 |
| No | -600 |
Odds taken March 27.
Vikings Ship Disgruntled Diggs To Bills
It feels like it’s been three or four times now that the Diggs has had issues with the Vikings. Although he’s never been direct as to what or who the problem is, it became clear that he wanted out. When the Vikings had the opportunity to move him for a variety of draft picks, they pulled the trigger to try and move on.
The issue is that Minnesota had already been lacking depth at wide receiver. While Diggs and Adam Thielen were a great one-two punch, they lacked a third option. Bisi Johnson was the only other receiver who was productive behind Thielen and Diggs last year, and he had just 31 catches for 294 yards.
The team needed a wide receiver anyways – maybe someone in the slot to work the middle of the field. Now that Diggs has been moved, the need for a wide receiver is even greater. With two first round picks – one at No. 22 and one at No. 25 – it’s likely they address it.
2020 NFL Draft Is Rich With Wide Receivers
The 2020 NFL Draft is loaded with high-end talent at the wide receiver position, which means it’s probably very likely that the Vikings end up addressing the position. Players like CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III are all but assured of going in the first round. They’ll all be gone by the time the Vikings are selecting in the 20’s.
The good news for the Vikings is they have two picks in the 20’s and there are a lot of wide receivers that they’ll have the opportunity to pick from. There are going to be guys like Denzel Mims, Justin Jefferson, Tee Higgins, Laviska Shenault Jr., Brandon Aiyuk and Jalen Reagor available. They’ll have plenty of options to choose from.
What’s The Best Bet?
The Vikings suddenly have a lot of holes to fill as they need help at cornerback and on the edge too, but wide receiver is a big priority. The Vikings could wait until the No. 58 pick (their second-round selection) to nab someone like Michael Pittman Jr. but the general grade on him is lower than the aforementioned players.
Given the price on ‘Yes’ here at +350, given the Vikings need and given that there are a lot of good options for them that fit the range – players who will be available in the 20’s and are graded in that range – a bet on ‘Yes’ makes plenty of sense to me.
Yes, the Vikings signed Tajae Sharpe, but he has a total of 51 catches over the last two seasons. He’s not the Diggs replacement. Look for Minnesota to draft a guy to fill his shoes with either one of their two first rounders at the 2020 NFL Draft.
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
