2020 NFL Draft Prop Bets: Best Bet for First Kicker Drafted
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As we continue our tour of the 2020 NFL Draft props, we’re going to now take a look at which kicker will be selected first. Georgia’s Rodrigo Blankenship is probably the most widely known name in the draft and is clearly favored to go first, but is there value betting someone else? Let’s take a closer look at the options (odds courtesy of BetMGM).
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Rodrigo Blankenship
First Kicker Odds: -182 At BetMGM
The Georgia Bulldogs sharpshooter is the favorite to be the first kicker off the board and it’s hard to see anyone else going before him. For the 2019 campaign, Hot Rod finished hitting 27-of-33 but all of the misses were from distances. Two were from 50+ and three were from 40+.
Given that he’s kicked in the SEC under some epic pressure situations, that likely improves his stock. The only way he falters is someone thinks his overtime miss in the loss to South Carolina really hurts him.
At the end of the day, though, this is the most consistent kicker in the draft, he has a fairly big leg (career-long 55 yards) and big-game experience, he’s the right bet here.
Dominik Eberle
First Kicker Odds: +260 At BetMGM
Some mock drafts have Eberle going above Blankenship, so if you’re looking for a value play, he’s your guy. I don’t know that anyone else on the board has a realistic shot. The challenge is that some scouts view Eberle as the clear-cut third-best kicker in this draft, so he might not be a great play.
Eberle kicked at Utah State and was 21-of-24 on the year. He was a perfect 45-for-45 on extra points, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot since extra points in the NFL are longer. He did set eight school records for kicking in his career, including a single-game record for six made field goals in a game – including three from 51. Some might feel that he’s a bit more accurate from those longer ranges, which is why they take him over Blankenship.
Tyler Bass
First Kicker Odds: +600 At BetMGM
Tyler Bass is third in line in terms of the odds but when we start getting into this range, all of these guys could be undrafted. It just really depends on who thinks they can find a reliable kicker at the end of the draft and who thinks these guys are all crap shoots.
Bass was Georgia Southern’s kicker and made 71.4% of his kicks last season, although two of them were blocked. He has a pretty good leg as 55 of his 72 kickoffs were touchbacks. He’s already in the seventh-round range, though, so I’m not sure that he’s even going to get drafted.
The draw here is he can do field goals and kickoffs and is generally pretty reliable between 30 and 50 yards. I wouldn’t bet on him being the first kicker out of the gates, though.
J.J. Molson
First Kicker Odds: +1600 At BetMGM
UCLA’s kicker J.J. Molson is a 16/1 longshot to be the first kicker drafted. The only way he goes first is if someone is strictly looking for a kickoff specialist. He’s probably the best in this realm as 72.5% of his kicks go for touchbacks and he’s also got a few tricks in the bag as an onside kick specialist.
I wouldn’t bet him to go first overall.
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Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.