Henry Ruggs III Shocks Analysts And Bettors By Being First WR Drafted

• Before the 2020 NFL Draft began, Henry Ruggs III was a +155 underdog to be selected under the 13.5 pick.
• In terms of odds for the first wide receiver to be drafted, Ruggs III had the third shortest odds at +450.
• Ceedee Lamb was the favorite to be the first wide receiver taken at -190 odds.
• Exact order betting lines for first three wide receivers taken featured +2000 odds for Henry Ruggs III to go first, Jerry Jeudy second, and Cedee Lamb third.

LAS VEGAS – Ever since Amari Cooper left the Las Vegas Raiders to thrive while playing for the Dallas Cowboys, Raiders fans have been hoping for a wideout to fill the hole that was left with his departure. Henry Ruggs III may just be that player, much to the surprise of bettors who put action on his +450 odds.

Many analysts and oddsmakers alike had the first wide receiver of the draft taken to be a two-man race between Alabama Crimson Tide’s Jerry Jeudy and Oklahoma Sooners’ Ceedee Lamb.

NFL Draft Odds leading up to the event favored Ceedee Lamb to be the first Wide Receiver drafted at -190 followed by Jerry Jeudy at +190 and Henry Ruggs III at +450 odds.

The fact that the Alabama Crimson Tide star receiver was the first pick wasn’t the only underdog pick that netted bettors a hefty payout. In fact, the order in which the receivers were drafted came with even longer odds.

Trifecta style betting lines for the first three wide receivers taken favored the order to go Lamb, Jeudy, and then Ruggs III at +210. However, the exact order of Ruggs, Jeudy, and Lamb was being offered at +2000 odds. A $10 wager would have netted a $200 payday on that pick alone!

Other Notable Wide Receiver Underdog Odds

The underdog bets that came with Ruggs III into Thursday Night don’t just stop there. He was also a +155 underdog to be selected under the 13.5 pick. However, when looking at his 2019 season stats it is not as surprising to see him landing with the Raiders.

Ruggs III finished his final college football season with 40 receptions, 746 yards, and 7 touchdowns. The most impressive stat might be that he averaged 18.6 yards per reception.

Ceedee Lamb on the other had +215 odds to be drafted over 12.5. The Dallas Cowboys – who selected him – had +215 odds to draft an offensive player first. The Cowboys may have had other plans entering the day, but to miss out on a talent like Cedee Lamb was not something Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones was willing to do.

Cedee Lamb finished his final season with the Oklahoma Sooners with 62 receptions, 1327 yards, and 14 touchdowns. After playing 13 total games last season, he averaged 21.4 yards per reception. Just looking at the numbers, Lamb was clearly the most dominant wideout in all of college football.

But, NFL scouts may have not trusted his stats given that he was playing against BIG 12 defenses. Jeudy and Ruggs III both played on Alabama and both played against tough SEC defenses each week. NFL bettors may not have considered that when originally looking at the betting lines.

Legal sports betting sites offered over 100 NFL Draft props so there is still a chance for sports gamblers to make up for any Round 1 losses of the draft in the coming days. The NFL Draft will last until April 25.

With a wide receiver class this deep, many more surprises are likely to occur given how teams select.

News tags: CeeDee Lamb | Henry Ruggs III | Jerry Jeudy | Las Vegas Raiders