Story by
Las Vegas Raiders Secure No. 1 Pick in 2026 NFL Draft
- Story by
- Las Vegas Raiders Secure No. 1 Pick in 2026 NFL Draft
It's been a rough year for the Las Vegas Raiders , but they got some good news before even touching the field for their regular-season finale Sunday.
Thanks to a win by the New York Giants over the Dallas Cowboys , the Raiders have now secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Advertisement
The Giants were the only team that could have leapfrogged the Raiders for the top spot with a Week 18 loss and a Las Vegas win over the Kansas City Chiefs .
Fans gathering at Allegiant Stadium for Sunday's regular-season final against the Chiefs erupted in cheers when the Giants' victory was confirmed on the big screen:
This development puts the Raiders in the driver's seat to potentially land a new franchise quarterback, after a disappointing season from veteran starter Geno Smith , who was acquired via trade this offseason from the Seattle Seahawks in return for a third-round pick in the 2025 draft.
Advertisement
The 2026 class features a pair of worthy candidates in Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Oregon's Dante Moore . Mendoza won this year's Heisman Trophy while leading the Hoosiers to a Big Ten title, while Moore has put up impressive numbers for the Ducks this season. Both quarterbacks still have their respective teams alive in the national title hunt as semifinalists in the College Football Playoff.
There could be plenty of big changes coming for the Raiders this offseason, including a change at head coach, as Pete Carroll could be one-and-done after such a terrible 2025 campaign. If there's a fresh face on the headset in 2026, it looks like that coach will have a young quarterback to develop in hopes of turning the Raiders back into a playoff contender.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
