Tank Watch Is On: Titans, Giants, Raiders Lead Race For Top Pick
Five teams are still alive for the top pick as pivotal late-season games and tiebreakers take shape.
Sure, everyone is looking at the NFL postseason picture as we round third base and head for home on the end of the regular season. But if you're only watching those races, you're missing out. There's an incredible battle for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft playing out in front of our eyes.
The New York Giants lost to the Washington Commanders in Week 15, falling short on a valiant comeback attempt. Honestly, though, it was much better for the franchise's future to not win the game, so there's that bonus. The Giants fell to 2-12 on the season, one of three NFL teams with only two victories.
One of the other ones, the Las Vegas Raiders, barely even showed up in Philadelphia on Sunday. The Eagles ran the Raiders off the field, posting a 31-0 shutout. Again, though, there's a silver lining for fans of the silver and black; the Raiders are also 2-12 and tied with the Giants for fewest wins in the NFL.
The Tennessee Titans are the third team with two wins, and they take on the San Francisco 49ers in Week 15. With the 49ers installed as two-touchdown favorites, it's safe to say the Titans are likely to join the Raiders and Giants at 2-12.
UPDATE: The Titans lost to the 49ers, 37-24.
Where the No. 1 Pick Race Stands Right Now
That likely leaves fans with a three-horse race for the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. There are three teams with just three wins this season: the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints. So there are six teams still alive with an opportunity to "earn" the top pick.
UPDATE: The Saints upset the Carolina Panthers in Week 15 to move to 4-10 and effectively remove themselves from No. 1 pick contention.
That could leave us with a huge matchup in Week 17 when the New York Giants travel to Las Vegas to face the Raiders. Should the Giants lose in Week 16 to the Minnesota Vikings and the Raiders lose in Week 16 to the Houston Texans, the pair of two-win teams would meet in a massive showdown that neither team should want to win.
The New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders face each other in Week 17 in what could be a deciding game in the race for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
(Imagn Images)
Currently, the Giants are slightly "ahead" of the Raiders in the race for the top pick, since New York's strength of schedule is slightly worse than Las Vegas. The Browns easily have the worst strength of schedule among the teams in contention, so they would be in the driver's seat if all three teams ahead of them win at least one game and Cleveland loses the rest of its games.
The Raiders arguably need the No. 1 pick more than the Giants and Titans, since both teams just used first-round picks on quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward, respectively. But the top pick could afford the Giants and Titans an opportunity to trade down and acquire more picks for teams that desperately need more talent.
Late-Season Schedules That Could Shift the Order
Tennessee has games remaining against the Saints, Kansas City Chiefs (who were just eliminated from the playoffs and saw quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffer an injury), and the Jacksonville Jaguars. There are scenarios where the Jaguars aren't playing for anything in Week 18, when they play the Titans, and could theoretically rest players. That leaves Tennessee with a couple winnable games remaining.
The point is that there are many important games left in the NFL season, and they aren't just the ones that have playoff implications.