NFL Draft Best Bets: Will Jeffrey Okudah Be A Top 4 Pick?

Jeffrey Okudah Draft Position Over 4.5 (-108) - Click here to bet

Former Ohio State cornerback Jeffrey Okudah is widely regarded as the best defensive back prospect, but I think the urgency of other teams to move up and select a quarterback will push him past the fourth pick in next week’s NFL Draft.

If we’re to assume that Joe Burrow to the Bengals and Chase Young to the Redskins are basically set in stone, that leaves Okudah to the Lions at No. 3 as the next most likely outcome. That would be the case if not for what I expect to be a massive rush to move ahead of Miami by teams in need of a quarterback.

With Burrow off the board, teams looking for a QB, like the Chargers and the Jaguars, will be trying to move in front of the Dolphins at No. 5 in order to get their guy. The Lions, who basically need help everywhere, seem to be the most logical spot for a team to move up.

If Detroit wants Okudah, they can swap firsts with the Chargers at six and almost guarantee they still get their guy while adding other draft capital. They could even trade back to pick nine by swapping with the Jags and pick up someone like CJ Henderson, or pray that Okudah falls all the way to them there.

If the Lions trade out of the third pick, the Giants, who own the No. 4 pick, don’t seem like a likely landing spot for Okudah. New York will most likely look to strengthen their offensive line in front of Daniel Jones rather than taking a corner.

Okudah is a prototypical corner prospect with tons of talent and upside, but he’ll most likely fall outside of the top five because of an early rush on quarterbacks.

Andrew Thomas Draft Position Over 10.5 (-152) -  Click here to bet

Andrew Thomas is a quality OT prospect that has been projected to go somewhere in the top half of the draft for most of the past year, but I think this year’s outstanding tackle class pushes the big man from Georgia outside the top 10.

As I mentioned earlier, I expect a huge rush on quarterbacks early in the draft, with three potentially going in the top 10. Factor in Okudah, Young and Isaiah Simmons as early picks, and it starts to get a little crowded at the top.

There are a bunch of teams in the top 10 with needs along the offensive line, but I think Thomas ends up being the odd man out.

Tristan Wirfs and Jedrick Wills appear to be the two most polished tackles is this year’s draft and will most likely be the first two off the board. Today, Thomas is a probably a better player than Louisville's Mekhi Becton, but Becton’s athleticism and potential ceiling puts him ahead of Thomas in terms of attractiveness at the top of the draft.

I think there’s the potential to see three OT taken in the top 10 of this year’s draft, but I don’t think Thomas is one of them. I can see the former Bulldog ending up in Tampa at No. 14.

Denzel Mims Drafted in First Round? – Yes (-148) -  Click here to bet

A few months ago, the idea of former Baylor wideout Denzel Mims going in the first round seemed like a long shot, but we’re just over a week away from the NFL Draft and Mims’ stock has been skyrocketing.

One reason for Mims’ meteoric rise is his performance at the combine earlier this year. Mims’ 6-foot-3 frame is a quarterback’s dream and his incredible 4.38 40-yard dash was tied for 2nd among all wide receivers and 3rd in the entire combine. Pair his speed with his 38-inch vertical jump and it’s easy to see why teams are so high on him.

Mims caught 66 balls for 1020 yards and 12 touchdowns this past season in Waco and can do a little bit of everything. He's a potential target for the Eagles at 21 and about five other teams after that still need a receiver.

This year’s WR class falls off a bit after the top three of Jerry Jeudy, CeeDee Lamb and Henry Ruggs, and Mims finds himself firmly in the Tee Higgins and Justin Jefferson tier. Expect to hear his name toward the back half of the first round.