Legal NFL Draft Betting

The number of rounds in the NFL Draft depends on which year you are asking about. In 2024, there will be seven rounds in the NFL Draft. The length of the Draft reached a peak of 30 rounds in 1973, but the NFL has whittled the number of rounds down over the years to a more reasonable seven. The smaller pool creates for a more active free-agent market for rookies, and it gives bettors a little more certainty when considering their own “draft picks.”

Yes, you can bet on the NFL Draft at online sportsbooks or land-based sportsbooks located throughout the United States. There are a variety of betting lines and odds offered for the NFL Draft, and books are accepting wagers right now.

When it comes to how to bet on the NFL Draft, the sportsbooks we recommend offer odds on a bevy of NFL Draft props. Join an online sportsbook to place a wager on any of these betting lines. You can pick straight draft choices on a per-team basis or go for more obscure props,  like whether or not a wide receiver will be selected in the top 10 or if a team will relinquish their pick by allowing the time to expire. There is no limit to the betting options available for the draft.

Yes, you can bet on the NFL Draft in Vegas. Nevada sportsbooks tend to offer betting lines that stick pretty closely to the realm of athletic contests and their results (i.e. “on the field” or “between the lines”). The NFL Draft is a bit of a stretch, but there are plenty of major Vegas books that offer odds and are accepting wagers. Vegas isn’t down with entertainment betting, but they are all in on the NFL Draft. And of course, to bet in Vegas, you have to be in Vegas. That alone makes betting on the draft online much more compelling for most US residents.

The 2024 NFL Draft will start at 8 PM on Thursday, April 29. Rounds 2 and 3 will air the following day at 7 PM, with Rounds 4 through 7 airing on May 1 beginning at noon.

The 2024 NFL Draft will air on ESPN, ABC, and the NFL Network. You will also be able to stream the draft via any of these outlets’ official iPhone apps, Android apps, and other platforms (Apple TV, Roku, YouTube TV, etc.).

Each of the NFL’s 32 teams has one pick per round, and there are seven rounds. Seven rounds multiplied by 32 players equals 224 total players selected during the NFL Draft.

The NFL Supplemental Draft is held after the main draft, but there is no rigid structure, and player availability and picks are based on a number of factors. The supplemental draft is for players that had extenuating circumstances or eligibility issues before the formal draft, and that means that the pool size changes each year. Teams are awarded supplemental picks based on a host of complicated league policies and rankings. Since 1977. 46 NFL players have been drafted via the supplemental draft, with Hall of Famer Cris Carter (1987) being the only player to be enshrined in Canton.

There have been 11 number one overall picks that have made it to the Hall of Fame. Orlando Pace was the last one, in 1997. However, Peyton Manning will be Hall eligible in 2021, and he was the first selection in the 1998 NFL Draft. Betting on the Hall of Fame has now become an option for many online sports bettors

If you count the supplemental draft as being “lower,” then it’s Cris Carter (see above). However, in the modern era, the lowest pick to ever make it to Canton is  Shannon Sharpe, who was taken in the 7^th round with the 192^nd pick (1990). Tom Brady, who is Canton-bound, was taken in the 6^th round as the 199^th overall pick (2000), and will take the mantle from Sharpe when he retires and becomes HOF eligible.