2026 NFL Draft Odds: High Tide for Simpson's Stock

The 2026 NFL Draft odds have taken a major turn with Alabama QB Ty Simpson now the betting favorite to go No. 1.

Chris Vasile - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Chris Vasile • Betting Analyst
Nov 5, 2025 • 13:16 ET • 4 min read
Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) prepares to throw the ball.
Photo By - Imagn Images. Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) prepares to throw the ball.

We’ve reached Week 11 of the college football season, and the NFL Draft odds board has been completely reshuffled.

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson has emerged as the new favorite to go No. 1 overall, leading the Crimson Tide on a seven-game win streak and into the No. 4 spot in the AP Poll.

2026 NFL Draft odds to be No. 1 pick

Player Position FanDuel
Clemson Ty Simpson QB +185
Indiana Fernando Mendoza QB +300
Miami Dante Moore QB +600
Miami Rueben Bain Jr. DE +750
NFC LaNorris Sellers QB +800
Ohio State Arvell Reese LB +1500
LSU Garrett Nussmeier QB +3000
USCJayden Maiava QB +3300
Auburn Arch Manning QB +4500
Clemson Cashius Howell DE +4500

Odds as of 11-5.

Popular NFL betting tools


• 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

Pages related to this topic

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.

Popular Content

Covers is verified safe by: Evalon Logo GPWA Logo GDPR Logo GeoTrust Logo Evalon Logo