After a triumphant win against the now 11-2 New England Patriots in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season, no one could have predicted that the Las Vegas Raiders would tail off so badly. But the Silver and Black have dropped 11 of their last 12 games, including seven straight heading into Week 15.
If the 2026 NFL Draft were held today, the Raiders would have the No. 2 overall pick. That is some premier draft capital for a team that hasn't picked in the top 5 since 2019 and in the top 2 since they had the No. 1 overall pick in 2007. But they're well-positioned to land the top pick again next April.
All that Las Vegas has to do is lose out, and there is almost no way that the Tennessee Titans could overtake them atop the draft board. When looking at the Raiders' résumé, that seems like an easy task. The team's history, however, indicates that something will get in their way.
Raiders earning No. 1 pick is important for more reasons than meets the eye
With the No. 1 overall pick, the Raiders would likely select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Named the AP Player of the Year and the likely Heisman Trophy winner, Mendoza, a dual-threat at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, could be a transformational player for the Silver and Black.
But if Las Vegas isn't picking at No. 1 overall, that means that someone else will be. A team like the New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets or Arizona Cardinals is all still in the running for the top selection and wouldn't hesitate to pry Mendoza from the Raiders' fingertips.
There is also a chance that a team like the Titans, New York Giants or Washington Commanders, who have their quarterbacks of the future, end up with the first pick. At that point, any number of teams could try to sell the farm and leapfrog the Raiders by trading up.
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Either that, or Las Vegas is forced to give up tons of future draft capital if they want to ascend the draft board, mortgaging even more of their future on an unproven 22-year-old quarterback. They can't rely on Mendoza falling to them, nor on another team not trading up to get him.
To make matters more dire, the Browns, Jets, Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys all have multiple first-round picks in this year's draft, and a handful of them have even more ammunition for next year. A team atop the board could easily be swooned by that kind of draft capital to move back from No. 1.
Simply put, getting the top overall pick should be the main focus for the franchise. You can't outwardly tank in the NFL, but the Raiders should seriously consider shutting down some veterans with nagging injuries and not rushing back any critical players who are currently out of the lineup.
It is contrarian to the franchise's age-old saying of "Just Win Baby," but Las Vegas needs to take a few steps back here before it can move forward. That starts with doing whatever it takes to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, because this terrible, terrible season cannot be all for naught.