The 2026 NFL Draft took place from April 23 through April 25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Here are the key things to know about betting on the NFL Draft at legal betting sites.
2026 NFL Draft odds
The table below lists some of the players who were expected to be drafted early in Pittsburgh.
| Player | Position | School | Odds |
| Arch Manning | QB | Texas | TBD |
| LaNorris Sellers | QB | South Carolina | TBD |
| Garrett Nussmeier | QB | LSU | TBD |
| Cade Klubnik | QB | Clemson | TBD |
| Peter Woods | DT | Clemson | TBD |
| Caleb Downs | S | Ohio State | TBD |
| Keldric Faulk | Edge | Auburn | TBD |
| Spencer Fano | OT | Utah | TBD |
Which team has the first pick at the 2026 NFL Draft?
The pick order for the 2026 NFL Draft will not be finalized until the conclusion of the 2025 regular season. However, early projections already point to several teams as strong candidates for the No. 1 overall pick.
The Las Vegas Raiders currently hold the highest probability, followed by the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, and Washington Commanders—all teams that could find themselves at the top of the draft board depending on how the season unfolds.
How NFL Draft betting works
Over the offseason and as the NFL season plays out, you can bet on who will be the first overall pick at the next draft. The goal is simple. Here’s how a bet would work if we pick one of the top favorites:
- Cam Ward -1200
- Abdul Carter +600
- Travis Hunter +3400
When learning how to bet on the NFL, a keynote is understanding the lines. If we were to bet $100 on the favorite at odds of -1200, and that proved to be the right call, then we would need to risk $120 to win $10 in profit, plus the original wager. For a $10 bet on a player at +600, our profit potential would be $60 for a total of $70. For a pick at +3400, a $10 bet would net $340 in profit and $350 in total counting the stake.
As the season rolls along, you can expect to see an option to bet on which team will have the first overall pick in the next draft. When the event itself is drawing near, the floodgates will start to open. Here are some of the other bets you may see during that time:
- First two picks in order
- Second overall pick, third overall, etc.
- First player drafted by position
- Player to be drafted in the top five, 10, etc.
- First player or position selected by team
- Total number of players drafted by position, school or conference
- Over/under on player draft positions
NFL Draft combine betting
The NFL Draft combine takes place annually at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The event serves as a showcase for the top prospects to display their skills in hopes of bolstering their draft position. The 2026 edition will take place in late February or early March, but the dates have not yet been finalized. You can bet on the NFL combine in select states, though availability varies by sportsbook.
For example, DK offered a DraftKings promo code for betting on the combine in 12 states plus Ontario for the 2025 edition, while FanDuel had wagering on the event in seven states. Meanwhile, several states — including Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio — prohibited combine betting. The exact NFL combine wagers can vary by state and sportsbook, but here’s a sampling of what may be available:
- Player to have the fastest 40-yard dash time
- Over/under on fastest 40-yard dash time
- Over/under on most bench press reps
- Head-to-head odds for select skills
NFL first overall pick history
Over the past decade of the NFL Draft, the team with the first overall pick has selected a QB seven times. Here’s the full list:
| Year | Team | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tennessee Titans | Cam Ward | QB | Miami |
| 2024 | Chicago Bears | Caleb Williams | QB | USC |
| 2023 | Carolina Panthers | Bryce Young | QB | Alabama |
| 2022 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Travon Walker | DE | Georgia |
| 2021 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Trevor Lawrence | QB | Clemson |
| 2020 | Cincinnati Bengals | Joe Burrow | QB | LSU |
| 2019 | Arizona Cardinals | Kyler Murray | QB | Oklahoma |
| 2018 | Cleveland Browns | Baker Mayfield | QB | Oklahoma |
| 2017 | Cleveland Browns | Myles Garrett | DE | Texas A&M |
| 2016 | Los Angeles Rams | Jared Goff | QB | California |
This trend also holds true on an all-time basis. Here’s the breakdown of top picks by position:
- Quarterbacks: 37, last in 2025
- Running backs: 23, last in 1995
- Defensive linemen: 16, last in 2022
- Offensive linemen: Six, last in 2013
- Wide receivers: Five, last in 1996
- Linebackers: Four, last in 1988
- Defensive backs: One, in 1956
College football can be cyclical. However, some programs have produced more top picks than others. Here are all of the schools with multiple No. 1 picks:
- Six: USC
- Five: Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma
- Four: Auburn, Stanford
- Three: LSU, Ohio State, Texas, Miami
- Two: California, Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech
For the past decade, just one school has produced more than one first pick. Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield went No. 1 to the Cleveland Browns in 2018, and the Arizona Cardinals took Kyler Murray as the top pick the following year.
FAQ
Yes. NFL teams can trade draft picks before and during the draft, allowing them to move up or down in the order in exchange for other picks or players. This is a common strategy used to target specific prospects or accumulate future assets.
The Las Vegas Raiders selected Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, held in Pittsburgh on April 23–25. Mendoza was the first Indiana Hoosier selected in the first round since 1994. He won the Heisman Trophy and led Indiana to a national championship before being drafted.