With the college football season heating up, which players have emerged as top draft prospects? Below are the odds to be the 1st overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
2026 NFL Draft: Quarterbacks Top List
Ty Simpson is still QB1 in the 2026 NFL Draft đ pic.twitter.com/O8ppxb7F8C
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) November 4, 2025
The most important position in football is quarterback. So, it should come as no surprise that two signal callers are the favorites to go 1st in the 2026 NFL Draft.
According to the oddsmakers, Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza are the top two choices to be selected first overall.
After losing the first game of the season to Florida State, No. 4 Alabama has won seven consecutive games, and Simpson has been a major reason for the winning streak.
In the difficult SEC, Simpson is second in passing touchdowns (20) and third in passing yards (2,184). Simpson has thrown one interceptionâOctober 4 against Vanderbilt.
The redshirt junior has impressed all season, leading Alabama to crucial road victories against Georgia and Missouri.
In the Big 10, Mendoza and No. 2 Indiana are rolling. The Hoosiers are proving that 2024 was no fluke, as Indiana has jumped out to a 9-0 record.
The Hoosiers are not just beating teams; they are destroying them. The Hoosiers are beating teams by an average of 31 points, the highest margin in Division I.
Indiana gained a lot of respect from the college football community when they went into Eugene and defeated Oregon 30-20.
Mendoza has been lights out for the Hoosiers’ offense. Mendoza has completed 162 of 224 (72.3%) passes for 25 touchdowns and four interceptions. The redshirt junior is also versatile in the ground game with four rushing touchdowns.
NFL Draft 2026 1st Pick Odds
| NFL Draft 2026 1st Pick | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ty Simpson, QB | +175 |
| Fernando Mendoza, QB | +275 |
| Dante Moore, QB | +500 |
| Rueben Bain Jr, DE | +600 |
| LaNorris Sellers, QB | +750 |
| Garrett Nussmeier, QB | +2500 |
| Jayden Maiava, QB | +3300 |
| Arch Manning, QB | +4000 |
Heading into Week 11, Simpson (+175) is a narrow favorite over Mendoza (+275).
40 quarterbacks have been selected as the first pick in the NFL Draft.
Since 2015, only two non-quarterbacks have been selected 1st overall: defensive end Myles Garrett (2017) and defensive end Travon Walker (2022).
The quarterback trend will likely continue in 2026, with teams like the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Las Vegas Raiders, and Cleveland Browns in contention for the first pick.
Other quarterbacks on the odds list include Oregon’s Dante Moore (+500), South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers (+750), LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (+2500), USC’s Jayden Maiava (+3300), and Texas’ Arch Manning (+4000).
Miami defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. (+600) is the only non-quarterback in the odds list.
