2026 NFL Draft Odds: Nussmeier Rises After Solid Week 1 Showing

The 2026 NFL Draft betting odds are on the board, with quarterback Garrett Nussmeier the early favorite to be picked first overall.

Chris Vasile - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Chris Vasile • Betting Analyst
Sep 2, 2025 • 18:04 ET • 4 min read
LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (18) looks to pass the ball.
Photo By - Imagn Images. LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (18) looks to pass the ball.

The 2025 college football season is underway, and we've had some pretty remarkable games and individual performances over the first week of the season. 

With that said, the NFL Draft odds have shifted in favor of Garrett Nussmeier, with the LSU signal caller the favorite to be the No.1 overall pick in next year's NFL Draft. 

2026 NFL Draft odds to be No. 1 pick

Player Position FanDuel
LSU Garrett Nussmeier QB +300
NFC LaNorris Sellers QB +500
Penn State Drew Allar QB +550
Clemson Cade Klubnik QB +700
Texas Arch Manning QB +850
Indiana Fernando Mendoza QB  +1500
Arizona StateSam Leavitt QB +1700
Miami Carson Beck QB +1700
Miami Rueben Bain Jr. DE +2500
Oklahoma John Mateer QB +2500

Odds as of 9-2.

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• 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 Titans Cam Ward QB
2024 Panthers Caleb Williams QB
2023 Panthers Bryce Young QB
2022 Jaguars Travon Walker DE
2021  Jaguars Trevor Lawrence QB
2020 Bengals Joe Burrow QB
2019 Cardinals Kyler Murray QB
2018 Cardinals Baker Mayfield QB
2017 Cardinals Myles Garrett DE
2016 Cardinals Jared Goff QB
2015 Cardinals Jameis Winston QB
2014 Cardinals Jadeveon Clowney DE
2013 Chiefs Eric Fisher OT
2012 Cardinals Andrew Luck QB
2011 Panthers Cam Newton QB
2010 Cardinals Sam Bradford QB
2009 Cardinals Matthew Stafford QB
2008 Cardinals Jake Long OT
2007 Cardinals JaMarcus Russell QB
2006 Cardinals 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.

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:

  • 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.

NFL Draft Odds FAQs

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Chris Vasile Covers.com
Betting Analyst

Chris Vasile has been in the betting industry for well over a decade, honing his craft as a writer, editor, and handicapper. Chris has contributed betting and non-betting content for online publications such as ProSportsDaily and The Hockey Writers, in addition to Covers. With a keen interest in soccer, Chris has been featured on Covers' 'Before You Bet', BetMGM Network, and SportsGrid. He also runs his own YouTube channel — Game Day Wagers.

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