Raiders will pick 1st or 2nd in the NFL draft thanks to Falcons’ upset win
The Raiders are now guaranteed no worse than the second pick overall in the 2026 NFL draft, thanks to the result of “Monday Night Football” — regardless of how they fare Sunday when they host the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Raiders’ (2-14) cinched the first or second overall selection because the Atlanta Falcons’ upset of the Los Angeles Rams on Monday changed the strength of the schedule metric. That will keep the New York Jets from winning a tiebreaker over the Raiders or New York Giants if all three teams finished with 3-14 records.
Strength of schedule is the tiebreaker the NFL uses to determine the draft order.
Whether they win or lose Sunday, the Raiders will be line to pick their quarterback of the future in April, provided both Fernando Mendoza of Indiana and Dante Moore of Oregon declare for the NFL draft, as expected.
The Raiders could still beat the Chiefs on Sunday and secure the top pick even if the Giants lose.
For that to happen, the Raiders would need the Seattle Seahawks to lose to the San Francisco 49ers, the Cleveland Browns to lose to the Cincinnati Bengals and the Falcons to lose to the Saints.
Two of those outcomes, combined with a Chicago Bears loss to the Detroit Lions, would also guarantee the Raiders the No. 1 pick no matter what the Raiders or the Giants do Sunday.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
