2026 NFL Draft Odds: Mendoza Pulls Away From the Pack
The college football regular season is in the books, and the 2026 NFL Draft odds are shifting fast.
Fernando Mendoza has pulled away from the field as sportsbooks adjust to his late-season surge, while several high-profile contenders are drifting in the odds heading into bowl season and the pre-draft process.
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2026 NFL Draft odds to be No. 1 pick
|
Player |
Position |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Fernando Mendoza |
QB |
<a href="https://www.covers.com/betting" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:<>;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “><<-150>> |
|
Dante Moore |
QB |
<a href="https://www.covers.com/betting" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:<>;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “><<+380>> |
|
Rueben Bain Jr. |
DE |
<a href="https://www.covers.com/betting" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:<>;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “><<+400>> |
|
Ty Simpson |
QB |
<a href="https://www.covers.com/betting" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:<>;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “><<+650>> |
|
Arvell Reese |
LB |
<a href="https://www.covers.com/betting" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:<>;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “><<+2200>> |
|
Keldric Faulk |
DE |
<a href="https://www.covers.com/betting" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:<>;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas” class=”link “><<+2500>> |
Odds as of 12-11.
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NFL Draft betting trends
• Quarterback is the most important position on the football field, and following Tennessee taking Cam Ward at No. 1 in 2025, 21 of the last 28 first-overall picks have been QBs.
• All but two of the last 18 NFL Drafts have seen an offensive lineman get picked in the Top 10, with 2025 being no different, as Will Campbell went fifth, Armand Membou went seventh, and Kelvin Banks Jr. was picked ninth.
List of first overall NFL Draft picks
|
Year |
Player |
Position |
|---|---|---|
|
2025 |
Cam Ward |
QB |
|
2024 |
Caleb Williams |
QB |
|
2023 |
Bryce Young |
QB |
|
2022 |
Travon Walker |
DE |
|
2021 |
Trevor Lawrence |
QB |
|
2020 |
Joe Burrow |
QB |
|
2019 |
Kyler Murray |
QB |
|
2018 |
Baker Mayfield |
QB |
|
2017 |
Myles Garrett |
DE |
|
2016 |
Jared Goff |
QB |
|
2015 |
Jameis Winston |
QB |
|
2014 |
Jadeveon Clowney |
DE |
|
2013 |
Eric Fisher |
OT |
|
2012 |
Andrew Luck |
QB |
|
2011 |
Cam Newton |
QB |
|
2010 |
Sam Bradford |
QB |
|
2009 |
Matthew Stafford |
QB |
|
2008 |
Jake Long |
OT |
|
2007 |
JaMarcus Russell |
QB |
|
2006 |
Mario Williams |
DE |
How to bet on the 2026 NFL Draft
Sportsbooks will post odds for the player to go first overall in the draft as soon as the previous year’s draft is over. Once the college football season begins in September, these odds could change weekly depending on how players are performing as well as the evaluations of trusted draftniks such as Mel Kiper Jr.
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In addition, this NFL futures bet may also take into account the team needs of the worst team(s) in the NFL.
After the NCAA football season is over, NFL Draft odds will solidify after key events such as the underclassmen declaration deadline, the NFL Scouting Combine, and pro days. In the weeks leading up to the draft, sportsbooks will offer more NFL Draft prop bets.
Understanding NFL Draft odds
The odds of going first overall in the NFL Draft will typically look like this:
-
Arch Manning +200
This means that if you placed a $100 bet on Manning, you would win $200 if the Longhorns QB goes first overall in 2026. When you get closer to the draft and there is a consensus on who will go first overall, you might see a player with a minus sign (-) ahead of his odds, like this:
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-
Carson Beck -550
This means you’d have to bet $550 to win $100 on Beck being drafted first overall.
Above we have posted the American odds for the 2026 NFL Draft. However, these are easy to convert to decimal odds or fractional odds with our odds converter tool.
Get more NFL Draft betting tips and strategies with our draft betting guide.
This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here