NFL Commissioner Roger Goddell is determined to hold the 2020 NFL Draft on its original date of April 23-25. A group of league general managers met earlier in the week and suggested that the draft be pushed back due to the spread of COVID-19, but the league front office is holding steady to maintain the date.
There has been no indication as to how the draft will proceed and whether players will attend, but you can bet on the NFL to put something together that will entertain its rabid fans. The event was scheduled to be held in Paradise, Nevada, to celebrate the establishment of the Las Vegas Raiders in the region.
Yesterday, the league announced the closure of all team facilities. In addition to that announcement, NFL.com is reporting that player physicals will be discontinued so that medical professionals can concentrate on coronavirus containment and treatment. These restrictions are a wise and measured move by the league, but it puts teams at a disadvantage from a player evaluation standpoint.
One such player that has an injury history that NFL teams will need to keep track of is Tua Tagovailoa. With the NFL draft just a few weeks away, teams will have to rely on captured data on potential draftees and hope that nothing has changed in the interim.
With the NFL draft approaching, top-rated offshore sportsbooks have begun releasing a variety of odds on what teams will draft certain players, and at what point in the draft. Naturally, Tagovailoa is a focus of a betting line or two.
Tua Tagovailoa – Quarterback, Alabama
Often heard throughout the first half of the 2019 NFL season was the phrase “tanking for Tua,” as it was frequently suggested that the Miami Dolphins were deliberately losing games so that they could attain the first pick of the 2020 draft and draft Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
Something strange happened along the way, though, and the Dolphins started winning games and became a competitive football team by the end of the season. Around the same time that Miami started playing better, Tagovailoa suffered a devastating hip dislocation, forcing him to miss the remainder of the year.
Because of that injury and the risk associated with it, Tagovailoa is no longer predicted to be the #1 overall pick. Due to the Dolphins improved play in 2019, their record warranted them the #5 pick in the first round, and it looks like they have a shot at Tagovailoa if that is still their intent.
2020 NFL Draft – Tua Tagovailoa Draft Position
- Over 2.5 -550
- Under 2.5 +325
2020 NFL Draft – Team To Draft Tua Tagovailoa
- Miami Dolphins -125
- Los Angeles Chargers +250
- Washington Redskins +400
- Las Vegas Raiders +2000
- Detroit Lions +1200
- Carolina Panthers +2500
- Jacksonville Jaguars +3000
- Cincinnati Bengals +3000
- Indianapolis Colts +4000
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers +5000
Tagovailoa is projected to be picked no earlier that the 3rd pick of the draft and is a heavy favorite to go to the Dolphins at number 5. The Los Angeles Chargers are interested in Tagovailoa, they pick right behind Miami, and could possibly put together a trade to leap up to the #4 pick.
The Detroit Lions pick third, and there have been whispers of dissatisfaction with franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford. Betting on the NFL draft can offer large payouts if you play it right. The odds are very low right now on the Lions selecting Tagovailoa, but betting on that occurrence could earn a nice payout of $1200 if one were to bet $100.
Justin Herbert – Quarterback, Oregon
2020 NFL Draft – Team To Draft Justin Herbert
- Los Angeles Chargers +120
- Miami Dolphins +150
- Carolina Panthers +800
- Indianapolis Colts +900
- Jacksonville Jaguars +1000
- Las Vegas Raiders +1500
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers +2000
- Denver Broncos +2200
2020 NFL Draft – Justin Herbert Draft Position
- Over 5.5 -260
- Under 5.5 +175
With the recent release of quarterback Phillip Rivers, the Los Angeles Chargers are looking for a new signal-caller, and they appear to be set to select Justin Herbert with the 6th overall pick. The odds suggest that he will be picked #6 or after and that the Chargers will choose him.
Listed just behind LA in the odds to select Herbert is Miami. Converting the American odds to intrinsic odds suggests that LA has a 45% of selecting Herbert while Miami remains a legit contender with 40%. The Dolphins control their own fate as they hold the higher pick, but the Chargers may try and leap ahead of Miami via trade and select their guy.
There is no shortage of angles that bettors can take when placing a wager on the 2020 NFL Draft. The following odds have been provided by Bovada. LSU quarterback Joe Borrows must be a sure thing to go #1 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals because odds are not even offered on him.
2020 NFL Draft – CeeDee Lamb Draft Position
- Over 12.5 -125
- Under 12.5 -115
2020 NFL Draft – Chase Young Draft Position
- Over 2.5 +300
- Under 2.5 -500
2020 NFL Draft – Isaiah Simmons Draft Position
- Over 6.5 EVEN
- Under 6.5 -140
2020 NFL Draft – Jeff Okudah Draft Position
- Over 4.5 -135
- Under 4.5 -105
2020 NFL Draft – Jerry Jeudy Draft Position
- Over 11.5 -160
- Under 11.5 +120
2020 NFL Draft – Jordan Love Draft Position
- Over 13.5 -160
- Under 13.5 +120
2020 NFL Draft – First Linebacker Drafted
- Isaiah Simmons -4500
- Patrick Queen +1200
- Kenneth Murray +1400
- Troy Dye +2800
- Akeem Davis-Gaither +3500
- Willie Gay Jr. +3500
2020 NFL Draft – First Offensive Lineman Drafted
- Tristan Wirfs +125
- Mekhi Becton +150
- Jedrick Wills Jr. +300
- Andrew Thomas +950
- Josh Jones +2400
- Austin Jackson +5500
- Ezra Cleveland +5500
2020 NFL Draft – First Running Back Drafted
- D’Andre Swift -145
- Jonathan Taylor +150
- JK Dobbins +600
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire +2500
- AJ Dillon +5500
- Zack Moss +6600
2020 NFL Draft – First Safety Drafted
- Xavier McKinney -175
- Grant Delpit +175
- Antoine Winfield Jr. +900
- Ashtyn Davis +1800
- Geno Stone +2000
- Terrell Burgess +2500
- Jalen Elliot +3500
2020 NFL Draft – First Tight End Drafted
- Cole Kmet -200
- Adam Trautman +550
- Brycen Hopkins +850
- Thaddeus Moss +1000
- Albert Okwuegbunam +1100
- Hunter Bryant +1800
- Harrison Bryant +1200
- Jared Pinkey +2200
- Colby Parkinson +2800
2020 NFL Draft – First Wide Receiver Drafted
- Jerry Jeudy -110
- CeeDee Lamb +115
- Henry Ruggs III +550
- Tee Higgins +3800
- Justin Jefferson +3800
- KJ Hamler +5500
2020 NFL Draft – Team To Draft Chase Young
- Washington Redskins -400
- Detroit Lions +375
- New York Giants +850
- Cincinnati Bengals +2200
- Los Angeles Chargers +2200
- Miami Dolphins +2800
- Carolina Panthers +3300
- Arizona Cardinals +4500
- Jacksonville Jaguars +4500
2020 NFL Draft – Team To Draft Jerry Jeudy
- Las Vegas Raiders +225
- New York Jets +275
- San Francisco 49ers +350
- Denver Broncos +600
- Indianapolis Colts +600
- Arizona Cardinals +1400
- Philadelphia Eagles +1400
- Buffalo Bills +1800
- Miami Dolphins +2000
- New England Patriots +2000
- New York Giants +3000
- Carolina Panthers +3500
- Detroit Lions +3500