Day 1 of the most unique NFL Draft of all time offered a familiar helping of swerves and surprises, despite the unusual conditions:
- Combine phenom Henry Ruggs III ultimately leapfrogged presumptive favorite Jerry Jeudy as the first receiver off the board, going to the Raiders 12th overall in a development which surely had the late, speed-infatuated Al Davis smiling somewhere.
- With visions of the infamous 1998 draft-day forsaking of Randy Moss perhaps dancing in his head, Jerry Jones went the best-player-available route when Oklahoma star receiver CeeDee Lamb was surprisingly still there for the taking at No. 17 overall.
- The Lions never did parlay that No. 3 overall selection into multiple picks as had been rumored, staying put to nab the best cornerback in the draft in Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah.
- All the smoke surrounding the Dolphins – a possible swap with Detroit to grab an offensive tackle, a preference for Justin Herbert over Tua Tagovailoa – was more a mirage than a pack of toilet paper at your local grocer. Miami took the Crimson Tide star as its quarterback of the future without budging from its original No. 5 slot.
- And the Packers decided to give a little late-night spice to the whole shindig by trading into the No. 26 pick and taking Utah State quarterback Jordan Love, a move many speculate blindsided Aaron Rodgers.
The draft’s opening night naturally boasts the most appeal to the general NFL fan. But this year, there’s a larger-than-ever contingent of bettors getting some skin in the game throughout the three-day event, due to both more states having come online with legalized wagering and the fact there’s precious little else to plunk money down on.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some particularly noteworthy Day 2 betting markets at DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook and BetMGM:
Popular Day 2 NFL Draft betting markets
Josh Jones | Bet now +300 | Bet now +175 |
Zack Baun | Bet now +400 | Bet now +2000 |
Ezra Cleveland | Bet now +800 | Bet now +380 |
Yetur Gross-Matos | Bet now +1400 | Bet now +800 |
AJ Epenesa | Bet now +2000 | Bet now +1100 |
Tee Higgins | Bet now +2500 | Bet now +1700 |
Xavier McKinney | Bet now +2500 | Bet now +700 |
Denzel Mims | Bet now +2500 | Bet now +900 |
Colts | Bet now +300 | Bet now +300 |
Steelers | Bet now +600 | Bet now +500 |
Patriots | Bet now +700 | Bet now +600 |
Jaguars | Bet now +700 | Bet now +800 |
Panthers | Bet now +1100 | Bet now +1000 |
Bears | Bet now +1400 | Bet now +1200 |
Lions | Bet now +1400 | Bet now +1800 |
Falcons | Bet now +1600 | Bet now +1800 |
Jalen Hurts | Bet now -155 | Bet now -180 | Bet now -120 |
Jacob Eason | Bet now +150 | Bet now +170 | Bet now +140 |
Jake Fromm | Bet now +450 | Bet now +1000 | Bet now +550 |
D'Andre Swift | Bet now -200 | Bet now -400 |
Jonathan Taylor | Bet now +260 | Bet now +230 |
JK Dobbins | Bet now +450 | Bet now +550 |
Cam Akers | Bet now +2500 | Bet now +6000 |
33rd player drafted
As is usually the case, a number of players that have or did have a first-round grade at one point will still be on the board when the second round begins Friday night. The Cincinnati Bengals will be back on the clock after taking LSU’s Joe Burrow with the first overall selection Thursday night, as expected.
Offensive tackles Josh Jones and Ezra Cleveland, receiver Denzel Mims, linebacker Zack Baun and edge rushers Yetur Gross-Matos and A.J. Epenesa all arguably have first-round-worthy talent and could fill a particular area of need for the woeful Bengals.
With keeping Burrow upright naturally a top priority, Jones, projected in many mocks as a first rounder, could well be the most prudent route. Former Cincy offensive line coach Paul Alexander made his case in a Friday morning tweet, likening the fact Jones is still available heading into Day 2 to “Manna from heaven”.
Mims can’t be discounted either, as A.J. Green remains far from a certainty after missing all of 2019 with an ankle injury and the volatile John Ross still has plenty to prove. What’s more, Mims possesses the very same commodity that proved irresistible for Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden in the first round when picking Ruggs – sub-4.4 speed.
Jalen Hurts draft position/team
Firmly buried under the Burrow-Tua-Herbert-Love hoopla, Jalen Hurts was never going to go before Friday night. In fact, weeks ago, the former Sooner looked like he could have to wait until Saturday to hear his name called.
That expectation has changed for the better recently. Rumors of possible Steelers interest with Pittsburgh’s 49th overall pick have been floated. Then, the Colts, which remain unsettled at quarterback over the long term despite the one-year Super-Bowl-or-bust rental of Philip Rivers, have a pair of second-round picks to work with. The second one is five ahead of the Steelers.
Indy is currently the undisputed odds-on favorite to nab Hurts at both DK Sportsbook and BetMGM. And it shares the distinction with the Raiders and Steelers on FD Sportsbook. Las Vegas appears to be the longest shot of the three as a practical matter, as they currently don’t own a second-round selection.
A pair of teams that lurk below that trio on the odds boards may offer bettors some sneaky value. The always unpredictable Patriots, currently navigating uncharted waters in terms of their quarterback position and never risk-averse, sit at No. 37 and could always trade down a bit further and still get the dynamic signal-caller.
Meanwhile, the Jaguars haven’t exactly shot down rumblings this offseason that they’re not fully sold on Gardner Minshew as the long-term answer under center, the recent trade of Nick Foles notwithstanding. With even longer odds than the Pats to draft Hurts at present and the No. 42 overall pick in hand, Hurts is a conceivable target for Jacksonville if it’s convinced his eye-popping 2019 numbers (5,149 total yards, 52 total touchdowns) are an accurate reflection of what he could bring to the table.
First safety taken
Speaking of potentially undervalued Day 2 gems, the two safeties that often carried a first-round grade in mocks over the last few weeks – Alabama’s Xavier McKinney and LSU’s Grant Delpit – will still be there for the taking Friday night. McKinney remains the odds-on favorite to be the first player taken at his position and therefore carries minus money on DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook and BetMGM.
The Giants and Lions, picking at No. 35 and 36, respectively, are likely still looking to shore up their secondaries further and could conceivably even snap up both players. The Dolphins, not far behind at No. 39 and with the capital to move up if necessary, could also be in the market for safety help after parting ways with long-time contributor Reshad Jones this offseason.
The value for bettors lies in Delpit, who’s no less than +320 on any of the three aforementioned sportsbooks at the moment. The former Tiger arguably had a superior 2019 to McKinney. His 24 defensed passes and eight interceptions helped him garner the Jim Thorpe Award, and he even totaled seven sacks over his last two seasons.
Southern Illinois’ Jeremy Chinn could be a wild card, however. The small-school standout has been moving up both draft and odds boards and impressed with a 4.45-40 time at the combine after a senior season in which he posted 71 tackles and a team-high four interceptions.
Second RB taken
The Chiefs pulled one of those previously referenced Round 1 surprises by taking LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire with the 32nd and final pick Thursday. The unexpected selection sent some happy bettors to the pay window while ending the nights of Georgia’s D’Andre Swift and Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor on a sour note.
Neither player should fret much. They’re considered the two likeliest at running back get snapped up next, with Ohio State’s J.K. Dobbins not far behind them. The trio doesn’t figure to have to wait past the second round either, or even past the first half of it for that matter. Squads such as the Lions (No. 35), Dolphins (No. 39) and Buccaneers (No. 45) could certainly be willing to focus on the position with those selections. There’s also a possible interest from the Jaguars at No. 42, given recent Leonard Fournette trade rumors.
From the betting perspective, Swift doesn’t carry much appeal. Not only does he currently sit at no better than -250 on any of the three sportsbooks for the Next RB Taken prop, he’s also been outshined by both Taylor and Dobbins on a couple of fronts.
Wisconsin’s Taylor racked up a pair of 2,000-yard campaigns in college and fell just short of a third. He followed that up with a sub-4.4 40-time at the combine at 226 pounds. Meanwhile, Dobbins sat out combine drills with an ankle injury, choosing to let his 4,459 rushing yards and 38 rushing touchdowns over three seasons with the Buckeyes speak for themselves.
As of Friday afternoon, both players sit firmly at plus money to be the next RB off the board.
For a complete list of NFL Draft Day 2 betting odds, visit DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, BetMGM and FOX Bet.
