The NFL Draft on the horizon and the team at RotoWire.com has prepared for the seven-round event by creating a list of the most likely picks to be selected in the first round. We tracked hometowns for the most likely Round 1 picks and created a list and map showcasing which states produced the most prospects.
Our NFL betting coverage will keep ramping up as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches.
Which State Will Be Represented Most In 2026 NFL Draft?
Among the litany of states (and Canadian provinces) most likely to have prodigal sons selected high in the 2026 NFL Draft, none can brag more than the Peach State. Georgia's seven potential first-round prospects puts the state ahead of Texas (five) and Florida (four) nationally.
The top legal sportsbook apps will have plenty of prop bets for the 2026 NFL Draft, which takes place April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
Georgia-born players that might hear their names called by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell include Caleb Downs of Ohio State. ESPN's Peter Schrager has the former Buckeyes star safety and native of Hoschton, Georgia, going 12th overall to the Dallas Cowboys. Other Peach State natives that the Worldwide Leader analyst pegs as first-round picks include OSU defensive tackle Kayden McDonald (projected 26th to Buffalo) and Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood (29th to Kansas City).
The Hottest Spots for NFL Draft Prospects
Here is a look at where the best prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft are coming from:
Other States Producing Plenty Of Prospects
Lone Star State products such as Arizona State wideout Jordyn Tyson (projected to go ninth overall to Kansas City) of Allen, Texas, and Whitehouse native Jermod McCoy (15th to Tampa Bay) are also expected to be selected in the opening 32 picks.
Florida can lay claim to producing potential top pick and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. The national championship-winning quarterback out of Indiana will most likely go to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1 overall. At FanDuel Sportsbook and other operators, Mendoza, born in Miami, is a prohibitive favorite to go No. 1 overall, at -20000 odds.
Three states – Ohio, California and Alabama – have three potential first round picks apiece. Four states (South Carolina, Missouri, Washington and Indiana) have two each.
Among the Californians that draft experts are touting, Irvine native (and former Texas Tech linebacker) David Bailey is projected to go to the New York Jets at No. 2 overall. Ohio's top potential pick right now, based on Schrager's latest mock draft, is Ohio State edge rusher/linebacker and Cleveland native Arvell Reese, third overall to the Arizona Cardinals.
What Oddsmakers Are Saying About NFL Draft Prospects
Oddsmakers from DraftKings Sportsbook see the No. 1 pick being a near consensus selection, with Mendoza listed at -20000.
But the same can't be said of the rest of the first round, with Bailey (-175) being the Boston-based operator's odds-on favorite to go second overall to the Jets. Reese (+105) is the operator's top odds pick for the third selection, which Arizona holds.
At No. 4, FanDuel has Love as the odds-on favorite, at +145, while bet365 Sportsbook has Sonny Styles as the favorite to be drafted fifth overall by the Giants, at +200 odds. That pick would fly in the face of ESPN's mock draft, which has the G-Men taking Samoa-born Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa, who's second for that draft slot at +375 odds.
When the 32 first-round picks are revealed at the 2026 NFL Draft, certain states likely will lay claim to a greater number of first-round selections than the rest. Football hotbeds Georgia, Texas and Florida are the most likely locales to do that.
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