The countdown to the 2026 NFL Draft is almost over.
The draft brings hope to fans that brighter days are ahead for their favorite team, hoping their franchise’s next star player will have his name called this weekend.
While we will all enjoy the draft on Thursday night, how about we try to enjoy it even more by finding a few winning wagers?
Let’s take a look.
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David Bailey to be drafted second overall (+275)
After the Las Vegas Raiders select Fernando Mendoza first overall on Thursday night as expected, all eyes will turn to the New York Jets, who own the second pick in the NFL Draft.
This time last week, Bailey — a 6-foot-3 defensive end from Texas Tech — was favored to go second. A couple of weeks prior to that, Ohio State standout Arvell Reese was favored to be the Jets’ pick. Now, the odds have swung back to Reese once again, and many believe he will be the choice.
While there is support in the betting market for Reese going off the board here, it’s far from unanimous.
Many of the top-respected mock drafts still have the Jets nabbing Bailey, and there’s been enough waffling by the others to make me believe this is more of a coin flip than these odds suggest.
Bailey had 14.5 sacks in his final collegiate season, and could prove to be an elite edge rusher at the next level. Getting him at almost 3/1 odds and considering the uncertainty here regarding this pick, it’s worth a shot.
PICK: David Bailey (+275) to be drafted second overall
Jeremiyah Love to be drafted by New York Giants
The former Notre Dame star is widely viewed as the best running back in this draft class and has been deemed generational by some analysts. Granted, we heard similar superlatives in recent years to describe running backs Ashton Jeanty and Bijan Robinson.
Regardless, Love is a highly coveted dual-threat running back and is expected to have his name called early Thursday evening.
Love is heavily favored to go in the top five, but exactly where he lands is the question.
The Cardinals pick at No. 3 and will seemingly have a chance to snag him. But with a ton of needs, they could also opt to draft whoever doesn’t go second between Bailey and Reese. If they do go with defense, up next is the Titans with the fourth pick. New head coach Robert Saleh has a defensive background and perhaps the Titans choose to build up that side of the ball as opposed to taking a running back this early.
That brings us to the Giants at No. 5.
Over the weekend, they acquired the 10th overall pick, sending Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals. Could new Giants’ head coach John Harbaugh view having that extra selection as a chance to use the fifth pick to help out his young quarterback, Jaxson Dart? Dart was hit and often injured last year, and the presence of a potentially elite running back could take pressure off of him, allowing Dart to run less.
Getting long odds on Love lasting to the Giants is tempting, and if he is there, I don’t think New York will be able to resist.
PICK: Jeremiyah Love (+600) to be drafted by New York Giants
Jermod Mccoy draft position Over 32.5 +120
The former Tennessee cornerback would be a lock to get drafted on Thursday night if he was fully healthy.
Unfortunately for McCoy, that does not seem to be the case.
McCoy missed all the 2025 season recovering from a torn ACL. This week, reports have surfaced that there is concern he will require another surgery, this time to repair an issue with his knee cartilage.
This potential surgery would be unrelated to his previously torn ACL, as the medical red flags seem to be piling up. Hopefully, McCoy can overcome these concerns and have a long and productive NFL career, but for a cornerback that relies on speed and athleticism, there might be too many medical issues for him to go in the first round.
PICK: Jermod Mccoy (+120) draft position Over 32.5
