2020 NFL Draft Prop Bets: Second Offensive Player Drafted
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As April begins, some much-needed normalcy is on the horizon. The 2020 NFL Draft will take place on its originally scheduled dates (April 23 – 25) later this month. A move from Las Vegas to video conferencing won’t put a damper on the affair for bettors itching for action any way they can get it.
Even more so than most years, sportsbooks are stepping up to the plate to offer a variety of prop bets related to the draft. From everything to specific player props to round-by-round wagers, bookmakers have really opened it up this year to present options for every kind of bettor.
On the offensive side of the ball, there’s no shortage of options at the quarterback and wide receiver position. As a result, a plethora of props lean toward the offensive side of the ball. Let’s take a look at one such prop from our friends over at DraftKings that focuses on the second offensive player taken later this month.
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Short of something truly unexpected happening between now and then, the Cincinnati Bengals will take LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the first pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. While the second pick is more unclear, odds are heavily slanted toward Washington going with defensive end Chase Young (or trading the pick).
Pick #3 and so on, however, are decidedly more unclear. NFL teams almost always need help on the offensive line, simply given the nature of the sport, and the two best in the class are some of the shortest favorites for this prop in Mekhi Becton (+700) and Tristan Wirfs (+800).
Selecting either of two as the second offensive player, though, implies teams will be able to pass up the most attractive position of them all: quarterback. Burrow undoubtedly leads the way in this class, but former first-pick candidate Justin Herbert is in earshot at just +700 to be the second offensive player taken.
For my money, there’s one player who, despite a setback, has the best long-term upside in the league that I don’t see teams resisting. Since a November 16 hip injury ended his time at Alabama, Tua Tagovailoa has by all accounts progressed 100% as planned, and the door on playing his rookie season hasn’t been closed completely.
Though it seems unlikely that the team who drafts him would take a chance on him playing a partial season, the fact that the possibility hasn’t been ruled out is a great sign for whoever selects him. If not for that hip injury, there would be plenty of debate on Tua vs. Burrow for the first overall pick. In fact, Tagovailoa’s mobility might have even given him an edge in that argument.
The other option at quarterback, Herbert, saw his draft stock fall after a mediocre senior season at Oregon in which he struggled to make the right decisions downfield when pressured. His inability to look off defenders also got exposed, which will hurt him come April.
With a new regime in Washington, it’s not outside of the realm of possibility for them to take Tagovailoa with the second overall pick. If he should fall, the Dolphins are in need at number four.
Pick: Tua Tagovailoa -150
View all of our 2020 NFL Draft Prop Bets.
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TJ Perun is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from TJ, check out his archive and follow him @JohnnyCovers.