NFL Betting – Number of Wide Receivers Drafted In The First Round

• OVER 5.5 total number of WRs drafted in Round 1 is the favorite

• Every team needs a WR1 and every successful passing team needs a WR2 and WR3

• Bookmaker is offering a generous welcome bonus with a maximum of $1000 ahead of the Draft

The 2020 NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on April 23 and as of now everything is still a go despite the social distancing and stay at home orders laid down by many states. That’s awesome news for sports enthusiasts, who can only take so much ping pong and esports. The league will fill a void and online sportsbooks have come up with a number of intriguing proposition bets for the festivities.

Quarterbacks are the face of the franchise and the one position player that can make a difference in the win/loss column. However, in order to be considered great it helps to have someone on the other end of those passes. The 2020 draft class is loaded with talent at the wide receiver position and oddsmakers at BookMaker.eu have set the total for the number of receivers selected in the first round at 5.5. Are there six receivers worthy of being selected among the top 32? Experts believe there are with -250 juice attached to the over.

Total Number of WRs Drafted in Round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft

Over 5.5 ( -250 )

Under 5.5 ( +194 )

Like I said in the opener the class of pass-catchers is the best available in some time. In the last half century there have been seven drafts when at least six receivers were taken in the opening round. Back in 2004 seven wide receivers were selected in the first round and that turned out to be a rather mediocre class except for Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald.

The aerial attack in the NFL has been lifted to new heights. The top nine single-season passing yardage marks have been established in the last nine seasons and 11 of the 12 5,000-yard passing seasons have taken place since 2008. You see where I’m going with this.

Every team needs a WR1. Every successful passing team needs a WR2 and WR3. We rarely see two receivers on the field anymore. Most teams use three at one time and carry as many as five on a game-day roster. With an emphasis on throwing the football someone has to catch it. The 2020 class is loaded at the top and solid throughout with a possible record setting number chosen on the first day.

Just because a player is gifted and ranked highly doesn’t mean he’s going to be taken in the first round. Team needs outweigh everything and there are at least three quarterbacks and several game-changing defenders that will go higher in the draft. The fun begins later in the round when the receivers are expected to go flying off the board.

Arizona at No. 8 needs a pass catcher to help Kyler Murray and the Jets at No. 11 are woefully thin. Both have other pressing needs so don’t expect Jerry Jeudy or CeeDee Lamb to go that high. They won’t be far behind, though. Las Vegas and San Francisco both could use help at the position and the former Bay Area neighbors have been linked to Lamb and Jeudy. They are the best available and will likely be taken first and second, though who goes where remains to be seen.

There are a number of quality receiver candidates still on the board as we head to the later selections in Round 1. Henry Ruggs III is widely considered the third-best receiver, though LSU’s Justin Jefferson is right there. Ruggs possesses something you can’t teach – speed. He ran the fastest 40 at the combine, but he’s not as tall as the others and would likely be more of a project.

Jefferson had an outstanding combine with a quick 40-yard dash likely cementing his status as a first-round pick. Diminishing returns on DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery leaves the Eagles in a prime spot for a receiver at No. 22. The Vikings also need help after shipping Stefon Diggs to Buffalo and the status of Adam Thielen in question.

Other teams in need of help or depth at receiver include Green Bay, Baltimore and New Orleans. And guess what? Those teams all have picks toward the end of the first round and there are enough players to go around. Laviska Shenault, Tee Higgins, Brandon Aiyuk and Denzel Mims are all first-round caliber performers and I can see at least six and possibly seven receivers taken on the first day of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today.

- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com