2026 NFL Draft week is upon us! Yes, the most fun week of the football offseason is headlined by the first round on Thursday night before the remainder of the draft continues on Friday and Saturday. It should be a wild 3 days – even if the top of the selection process is unlikely to feature any drama (Fernando Mendoza to the Las Vegas Raiders seems like a lock).
Before the festivities in Pittsburgh get underway, let’s take a look at the best bets to make on the NFL Draft.
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CJ Allen to go in the first round (+165)
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
Allen could be the latest Georgia linebacker to get selected in round 1. A late-season knee injury prevented Allen from working out at the combine, but a recent 4.46 time in the 40-yard dash proved both his health and his speed. Allen’s stock has momentum, and momentum at the right time – right before the draft – is always a good thing. The defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks are certainly an option with the final pick of the first round. Heck, don’t forget that the Eagles own pick #23. They almost never pass up an opportunity to draft a defensive player from Georgia. Well into plus money, Allen has great value to hear his name called on Day 1.
Caleb Downs to be the first defensive back drafted (-180)
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
The -180 juice is pretty high…but it’s not high enough to make this anything but a great bet. Downs, a former Alabama and Ohio State safety, is one of the best players in this draft. Given that the class is not particularly stacked with talent at premier positions, Downs will be off the board early – maybe earlier than a safety would otherwise be expected to get selected. The Giants’ trade of Dexter Lawrence now has them with 2 picks in the top 10, further boosting their chances of getting their hands on Downs. Kansas City in the #9 spot is a potential destination for LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane, but Downs really should be gone by that point – possibly well in advance of that point, too.
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Kenyon Sadiq draft position Under 15.5 (-130)
Odds provided by Bet365 Sportsbook at time of publishing
The value of the tight-end position continues to trend upward in the NFL. Two TEs were taken in the first 14 picks of last year’s draft (Coleston Loveland to Chicago at #10 and Tyler Warren to Indianapolis at #14). Brock Bowers went #13 overall to Las Vegas in 2024. Kyle Pitts was the #4 overall pick to Atlanta in 2021 and T.J. Hockenson (#8 to Minnesota) was 1 of 2 tight ends to be selected in the top 20 of the 2019 draft. Sadiq should lead the way in the first half of the first round in this year’s draft. The 6’3’’, 245-pounder scored 8 touchdowns for Oregon last season. A 4.39 time in the 40-yard dash is rather absurd for a tight end of his size, so Sadiq will be a nightmare to cover for opposing defenses.
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