The Las Vegas Raiders are one loss from being on the clock for the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Raiders are the best team in the NFL this season when it comes to losing games. They lost to the New York Giants on Sunday in a game that had huge draft implications. Both teams were tied with the worst record in the NFL this season at 2-13 coming into Sunday’s game. The Giants could have clinched the first pick of the draft with a loss, but their 34-10 win opens up that lane for the Raiders. A Las Vegas win against Kansas City in the season finale could allow a three-win team to overtake them for the first pick based on the first tiebreaker of strength of schedule.
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The Raiders, who are an NFL worst 2-14 with one game to go, don’t need to worry about tiebreakers if they lose next week. That hasn’t been a problem for most of this season.
Giants take the lead
The Raiders came out like they wanted to leave absolutely no doubt they are the worst team in football.
Geno Smith threw a bad pass that was intercepted by linebacker Bobby Okereke and returned for 47 yards. That set up a touchdown run by Devin Singletary and a 7-0 lead. Jaxson Dart scored on a touchdown run later in the half to give the Giants a 14-3 lead. By halftime, a 2-13 Giants team was leading 17-3 on the road. The Raiders are simply that bad.
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When the Raiders did something well, converting multiple fourth downs on a 14-play drive that ended with a Tyler Lockett touchdown, they gave it right back. Giants cornerback Deonte Banks returned the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. That might not have excited Giants fans rooting for a loss, but Banks’ teammates came off the sideline and mobbed him in celebration after the play, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The Giants led 27-10 at that point and the Raiders were closer to being on the clock for the 2026 NFL Draft. Smith, who has been taking punishment all season, was hit hard as he was chasing down a tackle following his second interception of the game and he limped back to the locker room. It has been that kind of a season in Las Vegas.
The battle for the No. 1 overall draft pick
The Giants and Raiders could both benefit from having the first pick of the draft, but they are in different situations when it comes to the quarterback position. The Raiders need the help much more, and some of their actions this week clearly with getting the first pick in mind.
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When the Raiders put tight end Brock Bowers and defensive end Maxx Crosby on injured reserve, don’t buy the explanation that it was just for the players’ best interests. The Raiders badly need a quarterback and the best path to getting one is with the first pick of next year’s draft. Indiana Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is widely considered the favorite to be picked first overall, though Oregon quarterback Dante Moore will be a candidate to go No. 1 if he leaves school for the draft. The Raiders whiffed badly on the Geno Smith trade this past offseason and need hope for the future at QB.
The Giants weren’t that desperate at quarterback. They drafted Dart in the first round and he has had flashes of playmaking ability, though he has been inconsistent and him missing time due to injuries is concerning too. If the Giants got the first pick, it would be heavily debated if they should draft a quarterback in the first round for a second straight season. But the Raiders’ loss probably ensures that the Giants don’t have to worry about that with the first overall pick, though they will have a top-seven pick and a shot at some good quarterback prospects.
The Raiders left no doubt, after getting blown out by a bad Giants team, that they need more help than anyone else in the NFL in next year’s draft. They’re close to clinching the first pick.