Tag: third round

Full details on the Saints-Browns Zack Baun trade

The New Orleans Saints completed a trade with the Browns in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, picking Wisconsin prospect Zack Baun.

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The New Orleans Saints finally completed a trade after putting out a lot of smoke that a move was coming during the first two days of the 2020 NFL Draft. They moved up in the third round, vaulting from No. 88 to No. 74 — owned by the Cleveland Browns. The opportunity allowed them to pick Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Zack Buan.

That move cost the Saints the 88th pick, as well as a third-round selection in the 2021 draft. But they were able to recoup a seventh rounder from Cleveland (No. 244), replacing the selection lost in their 2018 trade for cornerback Eli Apple. That will be useful when the team begins planning for undrafted free agency on Saturday, giving them an early bid at landing a player they covet late in the draft.

Additionally, the Saints are projected to receive a third-round compensatory pick in 2021 after losing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in free agency. So for now, they still have three selections in the first three rounds of next year’s draft. Not a bad spot to be in after addressing their biggest remaining need by adding the best defensive player available.

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Instant analysis of Redskins picking RB/WR Antonio Gibson in third round

With such a valuable third-round pick, the Redskins signified that this was a position of need for them, and they trust him to get the job done.

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The Washington Redskins added to their offensive weaponry with their second pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, taking Antonio Gibson with the No. 66 overall selection, a running back/wide receiver combo out of Memphis.

Gibson will instantly have the chance to become an impact player in Washington, and he will compete for valuable minutes right out of training camp this fall, whenever that gets underway.

In college, Gibson used his unique skill set to stand apart from the bulk of players, acting as a dynamic swiss army knife type player catching passes out of the backfield and lining up outside a bit as well.

The Redskins are coming off of a year when they needed some help at the running back position, with Adrian Peterson being the lone back that they could rely on. Going into 2020, Derrius Guice is expected to be healthy and shoulder a lot of the load, but adding Gibson to the backfield will help alleviate the loss of Chris Thompson in free agency. The Redskins also signed Peyton Barber and J.D. McKissic this offseason, so Gibson will work to compete with them to get minutes in the rotation.

An interesting thing about this pick is what it says about Bryce Love as well. Love was drafted in the fourth round in 2019 but was sidelined all year due to injury. Many hoped that he would be ready by the time the 2020 season came around, but that is unclear now. The Redksins’ willingness to add to their stable of RBs may signal that he isn’t as close to returning as some thought.

Regardless, by drafting a WR/RB combo, Washington is letting it be known that they value that position and are doing everything they can to give QB Dwayne Haskins the weapons he needs to be successful in the NFL.

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How to watch the Saints pick on Day Two of the 2020 NFL Draft

The New Orleans Saints only have one pick on the second day of the 2020 NFL Draft, but that could change. Here’s how to watch the broadcast.

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The New Orleans Saints surprised everyone in the 2020 NFL Draft by selecting Michigan center Cesar Ruiz in the first round, and now we’re closing in on the second day of selections.

Rounds two and three will kick off at 6 p.m. CT on Friday night, with the draft broadcast from ESPN, NFL Network, and ABC, just like the first round.

The Saints have just one selection — for now. Chatter has grown in volume from the media that the team is working quickly to find a trade partner so that they can either move up or add more picks. But until a deal is finalized, the Saints must wait to make their next pick until the tail end of the third round at No. 88 overall.

Two other teams have no picks at all on Friday night: the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers. A handful of teams will make their first picks tonight, including the Chicago Bears, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Houston Texans.

Conversely, the New England Patriots have more second-day picks than anyone, with five selections in rounds two and three. The Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, and Seattle Seahawks each own multiple picks. Watch out for the Saints to try to cut a deal with one of them.

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NFL Draft: Which position will the Pittsburgh Steelers draft first?

Assessing 2020 NFL Draft odds centered around which position the Pittsburgh Steelers will draft first.

The second and third rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft take place Friday, April 24, in the basements of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and general managers around the league. The Pittsburgh Steelers did not have a first-round pick as a result of their mid-season trade with the Miami Dolphins for DB Minkah Fitzpatrick. Below, we’ll look at the BetMGM odds for which position the Steelers will target first Friday evening.

2020 NFL Draft: Which position will the Pittsburgh Steelers draft first? Odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Friday, April 24 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

POSITION ODDS
Offense -141
Defense +115

The odds for the Steelers’ first pick, scheduled to be with the No. 49 overall selection, or the 17th pick of the second round, are set up as a two-way line between a defensive player or an offensive player. The Steelers enter Day 2 with two selections at picks No. 49 and 102.

While the Steelers fell short of the postseason last year with a record of 8-8 to finish second in the AFC North, QB Ben Roethlisberger returns from injury and looks to lead another playoff charge. When betting on the Steelers’ first draft selection, it’s important to keep in mind they’re in “win-now” mode and will look to give Roethlisberger the best opportunity for one more Super Bowl run.

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2020 NFL Draft: Which position will the Pittsburgh Steelers draft first? Best Bets

The Steelers are heavily favored to target an OFFENSIVE PLAYER with their first pick of the 2020 draft. A $10 bet at the -141 odds will return a profit of $7.09. This is an adequate profit margin and a solid investment ahead of the start of Friday’s second round.

The Steelers lack a true No. 2 receiver behind bounceback hopeful JuJu Smith-Schuster. James Washington and Diontae Johnson have both flashed at times, but they’re likely better suited to depth roles as No. 3 and 4 targets in the passing game. TE Eric Ebron was signed as a free agent and will be an excellent red-zone asset, but Pittsburgh needs someone to draw double coverage off of JuJu.

Michael Pittman, Tee Higgins, Laviska Shenault Jr. and Denzel Mims all fit that role, but there are plenty of receiver-needy teams ahead of Pittsburgh.

Should those receivers go off the board early, Pittsburgh may pivot to a running back in order to pair James Conner with a quality complement. D’andre Swift is unlikely to fall much further, but one of Cam Akers, J.K. Dobbins or Zack Moss is sure to hang around.

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Steal Alert: 7 guys the Redskins would be thrilled to draft at No. 66

These top players will likely be gone before Washington’s third-round pick, but the Redskins would love to steal any of these players.

The Washington Redskins spent most of their Thursday night celebrating the selection of Chase Young with the second pick while they waited for the rest of the first round to play out, and they’ll likely spend most of their Friday night doing the same — waiting for the No. 66 pick.

It could be an anxiety-riddled couple of hours, as high-profile names start to fall off the board right in front of the Redskins, but there’s a chance someone might fall to them in the third round, where they can walk away with maximum value. So who are some guys that might fit that billing? Here’s a list of names we cobbled together that, if they were to fall, Washington would snatch up in an instant and be thrilled to do so.

S Antoine Winfield Jr. — Minnesota

Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

WR Tee Higgins — Clemson

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

OT Josh Jones — Houston

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

WR Michael Pittman Jr. — USC

Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

CB Trevon Diggs — Alabama

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

WR Laviska Shenault Jr. — Colorado

(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

CB Jaylon Johnson — Utah

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

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