It doesn’t take long after the NFL Super Bowl for fans to get excited about the next season. The buildup begins with the annual NFL Draft in the spring.
The stakes are high, as a great draft selection can change a franchise’s trajectory.
Take QB Joe Burrow for the previously hapless Cincinnati Bengals as a recent example of a pick that altered the fortunes of a franchise. Burrow was the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and led the Bengals to the Super Bowl in his second season.
This page will cover the basics of what you need to know for the NFL Draft, including a look at the projected top pick, the event’s schedule and where you can bet on the results.
How to Bet on the NFL Draft
There are multiple ways to wager on the NFL Draft at various NFL betting sites. This guide will provide an overview of how you can bet some money on the results of the biggest event of the NFL’s offseason.
We recommend unit betting for determining how much to risk and consulting mock drafts to get a sense of which players might get drafted where.
No. 1 Overall Pick
One of the most popular NFL Draft betting markets is wagering on which player will be taken with the first overall pick in the draft. The issue is that sometimes a clear frontrunner emerges and receives large minus odds from sportsbooks, making it difficult to profit.
For example, former USC quarterback and Heisman winner Caleb Williams was widely expected to be the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. DraftKings Sportsbook gave him -20000 odds to be the first pick, meaning you needed to wager $20K to profit $100.
Pick Number
It’s also possible to wager on other draft picks beyond the first one. For example, DraftKings had betting markets for the first 10 picks of the 2024 draft.
For each pick number, players will have odds based on their likelihood of getting drafted there.
Some sportsbooks also offer buckets, so you can wager on whether a player will get drafted in the top five, top 10, first round, etc.
Draft Position
This is an over/under on the pick number for individual players. The pick number has a half (.5) attached to it so you can bet above or below the number. Obviously, there is no 4.5 pick, for example.
Example of a draft position bet: QB J.J. McCarthy to go over/under 5.5 (-130 favorite to go under, +100 underdog to go over). You’d have to bet $130 to profit $100 on the under and $100 to profit $100 on the over.
Position Totals
You can bet an over/under on the number of players at a certain position to go in the first round, i.e. quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, etc. You can also bet the over/under for straight offensive and defensive players, regardless of position.
An example of a position totals bet: O/U 4.5 total quarterbacks drafted in the first round (-400/+300).
First Pick For Each Team
Some sportsbooks like DraftKings let you wager on which position a team will take with their first pick. For example, the Buffalo Bills had -280 odds to take a wide receiver with their first pick in the 2024 draft after losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis in the offseason.
Draft Matchups
Here you can wager on who will get drafted earlier between two different players. This is a head-to-head bet.
Here are two examples of this type of NFL Draft wager.
Who will be drafted earlier?
- Jared Verse +160, Terrion Arnold -200
- Michael Penix Jr. -265, Bo Nix +210
Mr. Irrelevant
The nickname “Mr. Irrelevant” falls upon the player selected dead last in the draft. The first NFL player to be dubbed Mr. Irrelevant was Kelvin Kirk from the 1976 NFL Draft.
Kirk, a wide receiver and kick returner, was the 487th selection. Despite the Pittsburgh Steelers taking a chance on him, Kirk never played in the league. He competed in Canada instead.
Oddsmakers don’t allow you to bet on any individual player to be Mr. Irrelevant, as it would be immensely challenging to set odds for it. Instead, betting sites allow you to bet on the position of the player:
- Final pick to be a quarterback: +300
- Final pick to be a wide receiver: +650
Betting Favorites to Go First Overall
The most common way to bet on the NFL Draft is the market on who will be selected with the first pick. This is essentially an NFL futures bet–like wagering on which team will win the Super Bowl–rather than a single-game moneyline. You bet on a player against the field.
In some drafts, all players have plus-money odds. That means every player is an underdog against the field, even though some players have shorter odds than others.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, former USC quarterback Caleb Williams was a heavy favorite to go first overall, especially after the Chicago Bears (who had the No. 1 pick) traded away quarterback Justin Fields.
With Fields out of the picture, the Bears were widely expected to take the best available quarterback (Williams) with the first overall pick, which is exactly what they did.
2024 NFL Draft Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Caleb Williams: -20000
- Jayden Daniels: +2500
- Drake Maye: +3500
- Marvin Harrison Jr.: +5000
- J.J. McCarthy: +6000
- Bo Nix: +10000
- Michael Penix Jr.: +10000
2024 NFL Draft Order
How is the NFL Draft order determined? There is no draft lottery like for the NBA Draft.
In the NFL, the draft order is based on the regular-season standings. The worst team in the league gets the first pick. Playoff-qualifying teams are in draft slots 19-32.
Draft picks can be traded, which alters the draft order as well.
For a comprehensive look at the NFL Draft rules and regulations, read the NFL’s explainer.
Here’s the order for the 2024 NFL Draft:
- Chicago Bears (via CAR)
- Washington Commanders
- New England Patriots
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Chargers
- New York Giants
- Tennessee Titans
- Atlanta Falcons
- Chicago Bears
- New York Jets
- Minnesota Vikings
- Denver Broncos
- Las Vegas Raiders
- New Orleans Saints
- Indianapolis Colts
- Seattle Seahawks
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Los Angeles Rams
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Miami Dolphins
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Minnesota Vikings (via CLE via HOU)
- Dallas Cowboys
- Green Bay Packers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Arizona Cardinals (via HOU)
- Buffalo Bills
- Detroit Lions
- Baltimore Ravens
- San Francisco 49ers
- Kansas City Chiefs (Super Bowl winner)
When is the NFL Draft?
The 2024 NFL Draft takes place from April 25–27, 2024, in Detroit, Michigan.
The first round of the draft on Thursday, April 25, kicks off at 8 p.m. ET, with each team having 10 minutes to make a pick. Rounds two and three on Friday, April 26, start at 7 p.m. ET. The draft will conclude with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, April 27, starting at 12 p.m. ET.
This year’s draft will feature 257 total picks. The Dolphins forfeited their third-round pick for previously violating league policies, while the 49ers had their fourth-round pick moved down four spots from No. 131 to No. 135 due to an administrative payroll accounting error.
How to Watch the NFL Draft
Millions of football fans watch the NFL Draft each year.
There are several ways to follow the 2024 NFL Draft, including ESPN, ABC, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio.
The draft will also be available to stream on fuboTV, which costs $79.99/month and includes a seven-day free trial.
If you can’t listen or watch, live updates from the NFL will come on social media channels.
History of First Pick in NFL Draft
The NFL Draft dates back to 1936, with many Hall of Famers going first overall.
Below is a list of the top picks in the 21st century:
- 2024: Caleb Williams, QB – Chicago Bears
- 2023: Bryce Young, QB – Carolina Panthers
- 2022: Travon Walker, DE – Jacksonville Jaguars
- 2021: Trevor Lawrence, QB – Jacksonville Jaguars
- 2020: Joe Burrow, QB – Cincinnati Bengals
- 2019: Kyler Murray, QB – Arizona Cardinals
- 2018: Baker Mayfield, QB – Cleveland Browns
- 2017: Myles Garrett, DE – Cleveland Browns
- 2016: Jared Goff, QB – Los Angeles Rams
- 2015: Jameis Winston, QB – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2014: Jadeveon Clowney, DE – Houston Texans
- 2013: Eric Fisher, T – Kansas City Chiefs
- 2012: Andrew Luck, QB – Indianapolis Colts
- 2011: Cam Newton, QB – Carolina Panthers
- 2010: Sam Bradford, QB – St. Louis Rams
- 2009: Matthew Stafford, QB – Detroit Lions
- 2008: Jake Long, T – Miami Dolphins
- 2007: JaMarcus Russell, QB – Oakland Raiders
- 2006: Mario Williams, DE – Houston Texans
- 2005: Alex Smith, QB – San Francisco 49ers
- 2004: Eli Manning, QB – San Diego Chargers
- 2003: Carson Palmer, QB – Cincinnati Bengals
- 2002: David Carr, QB – Houston Texans
- 2001: Michael Vick, QB – Atlanta Falcons
- 2000: Courtney Brown, DE – Cleveland Browns
Can I Bet On the NFL Draft?
Yes, you can bet on the NFL Draft. Online sportsbooks offer various betting markets around the event, including which player will get drafted first overall, how many quarterbacks will go in the first round and which position each team will take with their first draft pick.
Most sportsbooks feature NFL Draft markets, so make sure to compare odds before placing your bets.
Has Any NFL Team Never Had the Number 1 Draft Pick?
Yes, three of the 32 NFL franchises have never had the first overall draft pick before:
- Baltimore Ravens
- Seattle Seahawks
- Denver Broncos
The Ravens have only been in existence since 1996 and have been competitive in the majority of those seasons, so that’s not too surprising.
The Seahawks have been around since 1976 but have been a perennial contender for most of the 21st century.
The Broncos are an original AFC franchise dating back to 1960, so their omission is surprising. They were bad during the 1960s and have struggled recently, but were largely competitive in between.
Has a Player Ever Refused His Draft Pick?
It’s rare, but several NFL players have refused to sign with the team that originally drafted them, including famous players such as Bo Jackson, John Elway and Eli Manning. If that happens, the team that drafted him can either trade him or forfeit the pick, in which case the player must re-enter the draft in the future.
In most cases, players sign with the teams that draft them.
Has a Wide Receiver Ever Been Drafted Number 1?
Yes, three wide receivers have been taken with the first overall draft pick:
- Dave Parks, 1964, San Francisco 49ers
- Irving Fryar, 1984, New England Patriots
- Keyshawn Johnson, 1996, New York Jets
It’s been nearly 30 years since a wide receiver was drafted first overall. As the league has become more quarterback-dominant, it could be a while before a team uses the first pick on a wideout again.
How Many Number 1 Picks Have Won MVP?
Since the first AP NFL MVP Award in 1957, seven NFL players drafted first overall went on to win MVP in their careers:
- Paul Hornung
- O.J. Simpson
- Terry Bradshaw
- Earl Campbell
- John Elway
- Peyton Manning
- Cam Newton
Getting drafted first overall does not always translate to NFL success, and the majority of MVPs were not drafted first overall. In some cases, however, players live up to the hype and dominate the NFL as expected.
Where to Bet on NFL Draft
Most legal sports betting states allow wagering on the NFL Draft. However, some regulated sports betting states don’t allow wagering on an event like the NFL Draft.
Here are the states that allow online bets on the 2024 NFL Draft. *Denotes a state with some restrictions.
- Arizona*
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa*
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts*
- Michigan*
- Nebraska
- Nevada*
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- North Carolina
- Ohio*
- Oregon
- Tennessee
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia*
- Wyoming
Connecticut, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia all have legal online sports betting but don’t allow wagering on the 2024 NFL Draft.
If you’re in an eligible state, most, if not all, of the best online betting sites will have some gambling offering on the NFL Draft. The options will vary depending on the sportsbook.
