The 2015 NFL Draft arrives with the first round on Thursday night from Chicago and there's no suspense at the top as Tampa Bay is going to take Florida State quarterback and 2013 Heisman winner Jameis Winston at No. 1 overall. Things get interesting at No. 2. Almost everyone expects Oregon quarterback and 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariota to go there. The Titans hold the spot and could take Mariota or trade it to Cleveland, San Diego or Philadelphia.
Winston No. 1 Done Deal
BetOnline has little doubt on who goes No. 1. For that props, it offers Winston at -1000, Mariota at +600 and any other player at +1200. Reportedly the Browns have offered Tennessee the No. 12 and No. 19 overall picks in the draft for the No. 2 selection. The No. 12 is Cleveland's own first-rounder and the No. 19 is Buffalo's courtesy of a draft day trade last season that the Bills used the No. 4 overall pick on Sammy Watkins.
Browns general manager Ray Farmer addressed Mariota and trades in general last week: "I would go up if it was the right circumstance, and I would go back if it was the right circumstance."
Of course Cleveland took QB Johnny Manziel with a first-round pick last season but he's just out of rehab and looked overmatched in his brief playing time as a rookie. The Browns also signed Josh McCown as a free agent in the offseason. The Titans probably will want more (would they take Manziel too?). When Washington traded up just a few spots for Robert Griffin III in 2012, the Redskins swapped first-round picks with the St. Louis Rams and also sent two more first-round selections and a second-rounder to the Rams.
Cooper Vs. White
The top two receivers in the draft are Alabama's Amari Cooper and West Virginia's Kevin White. Cooper is given an over/under draft spot of 5.5, with the under a -300 favorite. Most believe he will never get past No. 4 Oakland. White, who only played full time one season at WVU but was a combine star, almost surely won't get past Chicago at No. 7. White is thus given an over/under of being picked at No. 7, with both at -120. Bovada also offers an over/under on how many receivers will go in the first round with the total at 5.5. The over is a -175 favorite. Cooper, White, Louisville's DeVante Parker and Central Florida's Breshad Perriman are considered sure things.
There are likely only going to be two running backs taken in the first round: Georgia's Todd Gurley and Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon. Gurley would likely have been a Top-10 pick if he didn't suffer a serious injury in a game vs. Auburn last fall. He is given an over/under draft spot of 12.5, with both at -120. Gordon finished second in the 2014 Heisman voting and nearly broke Barry Sanders' single-season NCAA rushing yardage record. He has an over/under spot of 22.5, with both at -120. The Dallas Cowboys really want him at No. 27 but probably have to trade up to land Gordon.
Category : Betting Picks
Tag : 2015 nfl draft
, jameis winston
, marcus mariota titans
, nfl football odds
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