Giants’ Win over Cowboys Gives AFC Team the No. 1 Pick in 2026 NFL Draft

Brigid Kennedy | 16 Hours Ago

The Raiders had the sixth pick in the 2025 NFL draft, which they used to select running back Ashton Jeanty. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL draft is officially set.

Because the Giants defeated the Cowboys in Week 18, the lowly Raiders will have the first selection in Pittsburgh this April, as confirmed by ESPN's Adam Schefter. Last year, the Raiders used the sixth overall pick to select Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.

With the Giants win today, the Las Vegas Raiders now have clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Raiders are now on the clock.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 4, 2026

Starting Raiders quarterback Geno Smith is under contract through the 2027 season, but Vegas still needs a solution to its long-term QB problem, especially with Smith's poor play in 2025 (case in point: as of this writing, he leads the league in interceptions with 17). That in mind, it's widely believed that the team will select Heisman-winning Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza with its top pick.

Mendoza has not yet declared for the draft, as he is in the middle of the College Football Playoff, but it's very likely he will.

To note, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer believes it's possible that the Raiders opt for Oregon QB Dante Moore (also undeclared at the moment) instead of Mendoza, as he wrote in a column published before either Oregon or Indiana advanced to the semifinals in the CFP. Either way, though, it seems likely the team goes for a signal-caller.

The Raiders will round out their season with a game vs. the Patrick Mahomes-less Chiefs on Sunday. If they win, they'll improve to 3–14, but if they lose, they'll end the year at 2–15. Either way, they'll have their eyes on the draft once the game clock ticks down to zero.

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