2026 NFL Draft Odds: Mendoza All but Certain to go No. 1
The NFL Draft order is set, and according to the latest NFL Draft odds, Fernando Mendoza may be the newest Las Vegas Raiders quarterback by the end of April.
2026 NFL Draft odds to be No. 1 pick| Player | Position |  |
|---|---|---|
 Fernando Mendoza | QB | <<-7000>> |
 Rueben Bain Jr. | DE | <<+5000>> |
 Arvell Reese | LB | <<+5500>> |
| Caleb Downs | S | <<+10000>> |
 Keldric Faulk | DT | <<+10000>> |
Odds as of 2-16
Popular NFL betting toolsNFL Draft betting trendsQuarterback 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 |
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.
In addition, this NFL futuresbet 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 oddsThe 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:
- 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