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The Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants squared off in the Toilet Bowl in Week 17 in a game that had implications for the No. 1 overall pick.
The Giants entered the week in the No. 1 overall spot in the 2026 NFL draft order, but Las Vegas was right on their heels in the No. 2 spot, hence the importance of Sunday's game.
With the Giants coming out on top over the Raiders in a game that featured two of the worst teams in the league, here's what that means for the No. 1 overall pick in April.
What Raiders-Giants result means for No. 1 pick
With Las Vegas' loss to New York on Sunday, the Raiders now move into the No. 1 spot in the 2026 NFL draft order, and the Giants fall to No. 2, per Tankathon.
So, if the Raiders lose or the Giants win in Week 18, Las Vegas will secure the No. 1 overall pick in April.
However, if the Raiders win next week and the Giants lose, New York would clinch the top pick thanks to their lower strength of schedule. If both teams win, Las Vegas gets the top selection.
The Raiders cannot fall any further than the No. 2 pick next week, even if they win. That's because all of the three-win teams behind them with the exception of the Giants have a higher strength of schedule than Las Vegas.
The Giants can fall further than No. 2 if they win next week. In fact, New York can fall to as far as No. 7 with a victory if the New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns all lose.
In that scenario, the Giants would have a better record than the Jets, Titans and Cardinals, and they have a higher strength of schedule than the Browns and Commanders.
The Raiders' solidified position with one of the top-two picks is huge for Las Vegas as it enters the offseason with a desperate need for a franchise quarterback.
Having one of the top-two picks guarantees that the Raiders will leave the 2026 NFL draft with either Fernando Mendoza or Dante Moore, assuming both quarterbacks declare for the draft, which they are widely expected to do.
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