NFL Draft Prop Bets: Day 2
The 2014 NFL Draft kicked off in primetime on Thursday night and didn’t disappoint. Jadeveon Clowney went number one to Houston as expected, but the opening round wasn’t without its share of surprises. For the second time in four years, the Jaguars rolled the quarterback dice by selecting Blake Bortles third overall. Bortles can’t be worse than Blaine Gabbert, right? Then the Bills traded 1st- and 4th-round picks in 2015 to Cleveland for the right to nab dynamic wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Good or bad move? Time will tell. And of course those same Browns traded up from 26 to 22 to grab the much ballyhooed Johnny Manziel.
Overall, three quarterbacks, including Teddy Bridgewater to the Vikings at 32, heard their names called, and five receivers in a supposed deep class came off the board. Day 2 of the draft begins around 6:30pm Friday evening. With a glut of very talented prospects still available, some early scrambling is possible. Here are a few more prop bets to consider before the second round begins.
Will the Texans draft a QB at the top of the 2nd round?
YES -120
NO -120
They went with a Carr in 2002 and it didn’t work out too well, so Houston might be reluctant to go with David’s little bro with the pick. They need a signal-caller badly, but someone like Jimmy Garoppolo or Tom Savage might be more to their liking. Derek Carr has a live arm, but not playing from under center in a college spread has some GMs concerned (see Kevin Kolb).
Will Derek Carr be the first QB selected in the 2nd round?
YES -250
NO +170
Again, this all depends on how the Texans have Carr evaluated. If they pass on him, Oakland, Tampa Bay, and Tennessee are the most likely landing spots. Whomever takes him will be getting good value for a player some pundits had graded as a first-round talent. The best fit would seem to be in Houston, although Tampa would be an intriguing destination now that they have Mike Evans to pair with Vincent Jackson at receiver.
Will Marqise Lee be the first WR selected in the 2nd round?
YES -250
NO +170
The Chiefs, Eagles, Panthers, and 49ers all bypassed the speedy ex-Trojan. Was it his underwhelming 2013 season, medical red flags, or a combination of the two? It would be surprising of he fell past Seattle at 40. That said, Cody Latimer, Donte Moncrief, and Allen Robinson are just three pass catchers who could leapfrog Lee.
Draft position of the first RB selected in the 2nd round?
OVER/UNDER 40.5
This has to be the most unheralded running back class in over a decade. Giovanni Bernard went 37th as the first RB taken in 2013. There are several teams at the top of the second round that need backfield help, but each can probably wait until later to pull the trigger. Carlos Hyde, Jeremy Hill, and Bishop Sankey are the leading candidates to be the first to hear their name called, but it will probably be after 41.
