After a predictable start to the opening round of Thursday night’s NFL Draft, the Las Vegas Raiders shook things up with their No. 12 pick of a lower-ranked wide receiver.
Henry Ruggs III of Alabama was at +475 to be the first wide receiver picked in the 2020 draft. Those odds put him behind teammate Jerry Jeudy (+115), and Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb (+105). Ruggs going to the Raiders paid 6/1 at William Hill. He also cashed under tickets on his draft position at 14.5.
Raiders General manager Mike Mayock said Ruggs is a better fit for the team than the other higher-ranked receivers.
“The distinguishing factor really was his speed his explosion and his work ethic,†Mayock said. “When you [are] in the division we’re in, and you look at Kansas City and you look at what they have on offense and what their explosion looks like, we needed to get faster. We think his addition opens up our whole offense.â€
Ruggs told reporters that he spoke to head coach Jon Gruden and that he expects to be starting for the Raiders.
“Coach Gruden asked me if I was ready,” Ruggs said. “That’s the first thing he asked me, bro. He wanted to know if I was ready to make an impact. If I was ready to be a guy who can come in and just go. Of course, if y’all follow me, you know I’m always ready to go.”
Raiders Shock NFL Draft Betting Again
The Raiders continued paying off for lucky bettors who figured out their NFL Draft plans. With the 19th pick, the Raiders took Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette. He was listed at 40/1 to be picked in the first round at William Hill.
Mayock said Arnette should be an elite player.
“The reason he is not a reach is because of his grade in our system,†Mayock said. “Do I think we could have maybe moved down and still got him? Maybe. We didn’t want to lose him. He can play inside, he can play outside, he can play left, he can play right. We just feel like he is one of the most competitive football players in the draft.â€
First 11 Picks Routine
The Raiders pick shocked an otherwise predictable start for the first 11 NFL Draft picks. LSU quarterback Joe Burrow was at -10000 to be the first selection, and -10000 to be the first signal-caller selected at BetMGM. The second pick, Ohio State’s defensive end Chase Young, was -1250 to be chosen No. 2. OSU cornerback Jeff Okudah, who went third, was also the favorite at that spot at +150.
The exacta for the first three picks of Burrow, Young, and Okudah was the favorite at +185.
Murray Calls his Shot
Three years ago, Oklahoma linebacker Kenneth Murray posted a prediction about his future on Twitter. On Thursday, it came true and paid off well.
Kenneth Murray bet on himself three years ago ðŸ‘#NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/DbzaIttTJA
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) April 24, 2020
The over/under on where he would be selected in the NFL Draft was 21.5. The Los Angeles Chargers took him with the No. 23 pick. That was good for +125.
No Surprise at Quarterback
In addition to Burrow going as the first quarterback, the next three signal-callers went in the order expected. Tua Tagavailoa was -150 to be the second QB selected. Oregon’s Justin Herbert was +110 to be the third, and Jordan Love was -105 to be the fourth.
Stat of the NFL Draft
According to noted betting expert John Ewing, since 2010, the New England Patriots have made the most draft-day trades in the NFL with 42. Since Bill Belichick has been the head coach of the Patriots, he has only failed to make a draft-day trade one time, and that was in 2004.
