The 2020 NFL Draft features plenty of good options at the cornerback position, but one stands above the rest as the best corner in the class. BetMGM has odds on who will be the first CB taken in April’s draft and we’ll make our picks to be the first cornerback taken in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Cornerback is a premium position in the NFL, especially with the league shifting to more pass-happy attacks. Gone are the days of running backs carrying the ball 30 times a game, with quarterbacks now airing it out more often than ever before. It’s why stopping modern-day offenses requires quality cornerbacks in the secondary.
Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah is widely regarded as the premier corner this year and could go as early as the top five.
2020 NFL Draft odds: Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah -5000
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, March 20 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Okudah was a stud at Ohio State last season, despite not winning the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in the country. He tested extremely well at the NFL combine, running a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash, jumping 41 inches in the vertical and 135 inches in the broad.
All of that, combined with the tape he put together at Ohio State, have him as the odds-on favorite to be the first cornerback taken in April. Several mock drafts have him going as early as third overall to the Detroit Lions – which seems especially likely after they just traded Darius Slay.
Okudah’s line of -5000 is steep and doesn’t offer much upside, but it’s a fair number based on his body of work.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Okudah to be the first CB off the board returns a profit of $0.20.
2020 NFL Draft odds: Florida’s C.J. Henderson +1200
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Henderson is an elite cornerback, but he’s not on the level of Okudah. He’s viewed as someone who could go in the top 10, but the more likely scenario is he goes somewhere between No. 12 and 20 where the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars are slated to pick, respectively. The Dallas Cowboys are also a good fit at No. 17.
While he could rise a bit, there’s almost no chance he’ll leapfrog Okudah next month. There’s too big of a gap between them.
2020 NFL Draft odds: LSU’s Kristian Fulton +2500
Fulton is No. 3 on BetMGM’s board of corners, well behind Okudah and Henderson. He has very little chance to go ahead of Okudah, but don’t be surprised if someone takes him before Henderson. He showed great speed at the combine by running a 4.46 in the 40, which was a question mark in his game. Fulton also excels in man coverage, so if a man-heavy team is in need of a cornerback, it could favor the LSU product.
The Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons appear to be good fits for Fulton in the middle of the first round and could be landing spots at No. 15 or 16, respectively.
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