Raiders Secure Top Pick In 2026 NFL Draft, Followed By Jets, Cardinals, Titans, Giants

Week 18 outcomes locked the 2026 NFL Draft Top 10, with Las Vegas first and the Jets moving up to No. 2 thanks to the Giants' win over the Cowboys.

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With nearly the entire 2025 NFL regular season in the books, the Top 10 in the 2026 NFL Draft is set. The Las Vegas Raiders clinched the top pick Sunday when the New York Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18, even though the Raiders beat the Chiefs. The New York Jets moved up from No. 3 to No. 2 thanks to their loss to the Buffalo Bills coupled with the Giants' win. 

The only other time the Raiders had the No. 1 pick in the draft, they selected quarterback JaMarcus Russell in 2007. They're hoping they don't repeat history with that disastrous selection. The same is true for the Jets, who took quarterback Zach Wilson with the No. 2 pick in 2021, the only other time the team held the No. 2 pick in the past 35 years. 

Side-by-side of Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson.

The Las Vegas Raiders secured the No. 1 pick and the Jets jumped to No. 2 as the Top 10 in the 2026 NFL Draft is set after Week 18 results.

(Imagn Images)

The Arizona Cardinals lost to the Los Angeles Rams and moved up from No. 5 entering Week 18 to No. 3. Arizona benefited from the Giants' loss plus a change in the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker that jumped the Cardinals ahead of the Tennessee Titans. 

The Titans didn't put up much fight against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a 41-7 rout, but were rewarded with the No. 4 overall pick one year after selecting quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Commanders could have moved up one spot from No. 6 to No. 5, but they defeated the Eagles in Week 18, which put the Giants back inside the Top 5. 

Although the Raiders win over the Chiefs didn't affect the Raiders pick, it helped the Chiefs. Kansas City would have picked 11th had they beaten Las Vegas. Instead, they moved inside the Top 10 to No. 9 thanks to their Week 18 loss. 

Here are the Top 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to Tankathon: 

  1. Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
  2. New York Jets (3-14)
  3. Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
  4. Tennessee Titans (3-14)
  5. New York Giants (4-13)
  6. Cleveland Browns (5-12)
  7. Washington Commanders (5-12)
  8. New Orleans Saints (6-11)
  9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
  10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)

The New York Giants held all the cards with regard to the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft entering Week 17 of the season. But rather than fold their way to the top selection, the Giants won their final two games, dropping the team down to No. 5. They could have fallen all the way to No. 7, but stayed inside the Top 5 thanks to Week 18 wins by both the Browns and Commanders. 

The most impactful game with regard to the top pick came in Week 17, when the Giants trounced the Las Vegas Raiders, 34-10. If the Giants had lost, they would have clinched the top pick. Instead, the Raiders vaulted themselves into prime position, needing either a loss in Week 18 or a win by the Giants. 

Had the Giants lost in Week 18 against the Cowboys, they would have secured the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Instead, several teams happily moved up an extra spot, including the Jets, Cardinals and Commanders. 

OutKick will have plenty of coverage of the 2026 NFL Draft in the coming weeks and months, but for now, the Las Vegas Raiders are officially on the clock.