The 2020 NFL Draft was supposed to take place in the city of Las Vegas, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the league to hold a virtual draft instead. The city is suffering through a major financial crisis, but there should be some relief coming at some point in the future. The NFL has promised the city to hold a future draft in Las Vegas, and that date was set on Thursday night.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell put on the colors of the Las Vegas Raiders before making a major announcement. Goodell and the league have awarded the 2022 NFL Draft to the city of Las Vegas, making good on their promise. The 2021 NFL Draft is set to take place in the city of Cleveland, which is home to the Browns.
The Raiders had a pair of first-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, and there was plenty of excitement surrounding the night. This will be the first season that the Raiders will call the city of Las Vegas home. They are expected to play in the brand new Allegiant Stadium, which has cost over $2 billion to build.
The 2020 NFL Draft was held in a virtual format and was simulcast on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network. The broadcast began by the television broadcast showing a live shot of the Las Vegas strip, which is currently completely shut down. Hundreds of thousands of fans were expected to be in attendance at the 2020 NFL Draft, but the city will now look forward to preparing for the event in two years.
Sportsbooks See Plenty of Action
Sportsbooks throughout the United States are struggling without live sports taking place, but the first round of the NFL Draft provided some relief. Betting on the NFL Draft has become extremely popular over the last few years, and the popularity grew as bettors themselves were looking for some action.
DraftKings reported that betting on the first round of the NFL Draft outperformed the average Sunday Night Football game. While almost all retail sportsbooks are completely shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, online sportsbooks were still able to take bets on Thursday night.
PlaySugarHouse is one of the top online sportsbooks in the state of New Jersey, and they also reported major numbers from Thursday night. $3 out of every $4 bet on Thursday night were from bets placed on the NFL Draft.
FanDuel Releases Rookie Player Props
FanDuel has released early player prop bets for both Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year following the 2020 NFL Draft. It should come as no surprise that the top two picks in the NFL Draft are receiving great odds.
Odds for the 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Joe Burrow +250
- Clyde Edwards-Helaire +800
- Tua Tagovailoa +800
- D’Andre Swift +900
- Jonathan Taylor +950
- Jerry Jeudy +1300
Joe Burrow is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, and he was the top overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Burrow will be suiting up for the Cincinnati Bengals and is expected to compete for the starting quarterback job in Week 1.
Odds for the 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Chase Young +350
- Isaiah Simmons +850
- A.J. Epenesa +1300
- Patrick Queen +1700
- Jeff Okudah +2100
- Kenneth Murray +2100
Chase Young, former defensive end for the Ohio State Buckeyes, was selected with the number two pick in the NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He is a huge favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Young grew up less than 15 miles from FedEx Field, where the Washington Redskins play.
