Bucs and Broncos involved in Super Bowl odds shakeup following draft

Coinciding with a shocking finish in the 147th Kentucky Derby, the 2021 NFL Draft concluded on Saturday after a four-day frenzy of surprise selections, unexpected trades, and an earth-shattering rumor leaked from Green Bay.  

Aside from No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence and No. 2 Zach Wilson landing in Jacksonville and New York, respectively, the first and second rounds of the draft endured substantial shakeup.

A number of franchises came out of the weekend with an entirely new outlook for the 2021 season. Here are the teams who saw significant Super Bowl LVI odds movement — for better or worse — following last weekend’s NFL draft.

San Francisco 49ers (+1600 to +1400)

The talk of Thursday night’s opening round of the NFL draft centered around the San Francisco 49ers, who completed a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins back in March in order to jump up to the third pick in the first round.

The Niners handed Miami the No. 12 overall pick in 2021, plus a third-round compensatory pick, and first-round picks in 2022 and 2023, so San Francisco could draft quarterback Trey Lance, a 20-year-old dual-threat out of North Dakota State.

Despite his youth and limited experience at an FCS school, Lance earned the third best grade of any quarterback in the 2021 draft class.

Alabama quarterback Mac Jones, who landed in New England at No. 15 overall, was the purported preference of the Niners, but in the end, Jones was a smokescreen, as head coach Kyle Shanahan wanted Lance all along.

In addition to the new competition on the depth chart for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, the Niners selected Notre Dame offensive guard Aaron Banks in the second round, and Ohio State running back Trey Sermon and Michigan cornerback Ambry Thomas in the third.

Following the draft, the Niners’ Super Bowl odds saw a bump from +1600 to +1400.

Lance is very much a question mark heading into his rookie season, but if he’s as good as some experts say, San Francisco could end up a dark-horse contender for the Lombardi Trophy.

Most likely, though, the Niners have a season or two of work to reach the Promised Land.

Denver Broncos (+6000 to +2500)

The Denver Broncos saw a major boost to their Super Bowl odds over the weekend, but it had less to do with the Teddy Bridgewater trade or their first-round draft selection, Patrick Surtain II.

After rumors surfaced that Aaron Rodgers is seeking an exit from Green Bay this offseason, the spotlight landed on the Broncos as a potential destination of the 2020 league MVP.

A day before the draft, Denver traded a 2021 sixth-round pick to Carolina for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, the presumed backup to Drew Lock.

Some analysts anticipated Denver would still go after a quarterback with the No. 9 overall pick on Thursday, but the front office opted for Surtain, a top cornerback prospect out of Alabama.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Rodgers is looking to go West, and with Denver passing on a quarterback in the draft, the team may be in prime position to go after the Packers’ superstar QB.

The Broncos also picked up North Carolina running back Javonte Williams, who will play behind Melvin Gordon, and added Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy in last year’s draft — an exciting weapon who could lure Rodgers to the Mile High City.

But without a quarterback of Rodger’s caliber under center, the Broncos’ odds are far too inflated.

Green Bay Packers (+1100 to +2000)

As for the team whose Super Bowl odds stumbled over the weekend, the Packers look like a franchise on the verge of combustion, now that the turmoil within the organization has come to light.

While general manager Brian Gutekunst has insisted Green Bay will not trade Rodgers, the veteran QB could still force his way out of Wisconsin and leave last year’s first-round pick Jordan Love No. 1 on the depth chart.

Whoever is running the offense in Green Bay next season, he will get a new weapon in third-round selection Amari Rodgers out of Clemson.

The Packers also addressed issues at cornerback with Georgia prospect Eric Stokes in the first round and took Ohio State center Josh Myers in the second.

Nonetheless, with Rodgers unhappy in his current home, the Packers’ chances of securing the franchise’s fifth Super Bowl title are looking slim, at the moment.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+750 to +650)

There wasn't much the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed to do in order to better their chances of another title run in 2021.

In early April, the Bucs re-signed all 22 starters on offense and defense from the Super Bowl LV roster, including seven-time Super Bowl champion, Tom Brady. The move marked a first in the NFL's salary-cap era.

Despite defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in last year's championship game, Patrick Mahomes and company boast the top odds (+525) to win the 2021 crown.

The Chiefs owned no first- or third-round picks in 2021 and picked up Missouri linebacker Nick Bolton and Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey in the second.

The Bucs selected Washington outside linebacker Joe Tryon in the first and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask in the second. They also added offensive line help in the third, with Notre Dame tackle Robert Hainsey, and bolstered the defense with Auburn inside linebacker K.J. Britt in the fifth round.

Following the draft, the Bucs drew closer to the Chiefs, as their odds jumped from +750 to +650. Tryon will be used for special teams next season, as will receiver Jaelon Darden, who the Bucs got by trading their fourth- and sixth-round picks to Seattle.

Tampa Bay made the necessary moves to enhance an already loaded roster and will be the team to fear most after the 2021 NFL Draft.