NFL Betting – Third Overall Pick In 2020 NFL Draft

• Jeffrey Okudah and Tua Tagovailoa +175 are both favored to be selected 3rd overall

• Tagovailoa is a bigger favorite to be selected the number 2 overall pick at -500

The higher-ups at the National Football League continue to make tweaks to the Draft. The good news is that it is still scheduled to take place later this month from April 23-25. That’s glorious news for sports fans who, have been deprived of nearly everything for a month with the global shutdown from the COVID-19 pandemic. With plenty of time on their hands oddsmakers have put together a plethora of proposition bets giving everyone who is eager to make a wager something to consider.

One of the many prop bets on the board is for which player will be selected with the third overall pick. This particular prop has more intrigue since it’s widely believed Joe Burrow and Chase Young will be the first two players selected. After that it’s anybody’s guess, and with the Detroit Lions holding the pick and desperately needing secondary help to upgrade a porous pass defense, Ohio State’s Jeffrey Okudah has emerged as the betting favorite at BookMaker.eu.

Who Will Be Drafted With the Third Overall Pick?

Jeffrey Okudah +150

Tua Tagovailoa +175

Chase Young +600

Isaiah Simmons +600

Any Other Player +1000

Teams spend a lot of time and effort screening players ahead of the draft. The biggest issue, though, remains what a club needs most. The game of football is driven by quarterback play and there’s no one better than Burrow, who appears to be a lock to go No. 1 overall to the Bengals. That’s why the LSU gunslinger isn’t even on this list. If Burrow doesn’t get taken first he most certainly will be gobbled up with the next pick.

When handicapping this prop we have to look at the draft order. As of right now the Lions own the third pick and they do need a plan for when Matthew Stafford can’t compete. Stafford missed eight games last season due to a back injury. He entered 2019 having started every game over the previous eight seasons and he enters his 12th campaign in 2020.

It’s evident the Lions don’t have Stafford’s successor on the roster. David Blough and Jeff Driskell didn’t win a game in Stafford’s absence last season combining to go 0-8 with 10 interceptions and just eight touchdown passes. We could see the Lions take Tagovailoa at No. 3 and let him learn from Stafford before taking over.

A more likely scenario has the Lions taking Okudah to help with their pass defense. There is a huge need in the secondary now that Darius Slay is no longer around and Okudah can give them immediate relief. He developed into a shutdown corner at Ohio State starting 34 games and his physical tools will make for a smooth transition to the pro game. The Lions were last in the NFL in pass defense allowing 284.4 yards per game and they managed just seven interceptions.

That nasty hip injury suffered last season hasn’t affected Tua’s standing in the draft. Even if he didn’t get hurt his numbers wouldn’t have compared to those of Burrow. Widely regarded as the second best QB option, Tagovailoa is a top-five prospect. It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see the Lions swing a deal for the No. 3 pick with either Miami or the Chargers moving up. Both have been linked to Tua and this guarantees his selection.

With three first-round picks the Fins have more draft capital to work with and would be the likely suitor in this case. It makes sense in a number of ways. Miami has Ryan Fitzpatrick and Josh Rosen currently on the roster so they wouldn’t be asking Tua to jump into the fire. And while they made a number of significant moves already this offseason, Miami still doesn’t have the talent to compete for a Super Bowl. Growing with Tua sets them up nicely for 2021.

There’s always a chance Chase Young could slip down the order. That means two teams passed on the top-graded prospect. We are talking about the Bengals and Redskins, and they’ve done some stupid things in the past. The Skins need a talent upgrade and Young supplies that. It’s hard to imagine Washington taking a quarterback since they have first-rounder Dwayne Haskins.

Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons charged up the list of prospects after a stellar season where he posted 104 tackles, 8.0 sacks and three interceptions. His versatility is what has defensive coaches salivating. Simmons destroyed opponents from several different positions for one of the nation’s top defenses.

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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com