The Las Vegas Raiders have an opportunity to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, one of their main competitors for that spot atop the draft are the New York Giants, who currently hold the No. 1 pick heading into Week 16.
Furthermore, both teams will play each other in Week 17, which could determine which organization selects first in the draft. Both teams are currently riding an eight-game losing streak, and the two sides could extend it to nine games heading into their showdown.
Amid the race for the No. 1 pick, WFAN’s Tommy Lugauer believes that Week 16 should be the last game that Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart should play as a strategy to hold onto the spot atop the draft board with three games left in the 2025 NFL season.
“This Sunday against the Vikings should be the last game Jaxson Dart plays this season because I’m fairly confident with the way Minnesota is playing right now,” Lugauer said in a video posted by WFAN on December 19. “I’m very confident the Giants will lose on Sunday. What I’m not confident in is the Giants losing against the Raiders and the Giants losing against the Cowboys, especially if they have nothing to play for.
“That’s why this Sunday should be the last game that Jaxson Dart plays this season. I’m not going to Jameis Winston; I’m going to Russell Wilson. Russell Wilson needs to be the starting quarterback against the Raiders and against the Cowboys. Russ gives you the best chance to lose out, to get the number one overall pick.”
Raiders Need to Edge Giants for No. 1 Pick
Las Vegas need to lose to secure the No. 1 pick and have the opportunity to select Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza, giving their fanbase hope. However, if they win any game that takes them away from the chance at Mendoza, the other QB prospects aren’t enticing, as The Ringer’s Todd McShay was blunt about what could be a thin class at quarterback.
“I will say this year’s crop doesn’t look great because we got a lot of guys that are deciding to go back to school and we got a handful of guys who quite frankly just didn’t play to the level this year,“ McShay said on the December 17 edition of “The Rich Eisen Show.“ “… We’re left with a class now where Fernando Mendoza looks like potentially the No. 1 overall pick coming off the Heisman after a phenomenal season and showing all the traits teams look for.”
“That leaves two inexperienced but highly talented quarterbacks who could be first-round picks this year [in Dante Moore and Ty Simpson], though they might project even higher a year from now with strong seasons.”
Fernando Mendoza’s NFL Comp
Mendoza threw for 2,980 yards this season, completing 33 touchdowns against six interceptions and posting a passer rating of 181.4 over 13 games for the Hoosiers, according to StatMuse.
Should the Raiders land the No. 1 overall pick, they would be well-positioned to take the top quarterback prospect in the 2026 class. The Indiana standout recently earned an NFL comparison from Ted Nguyen of The Athletic.
“If the Raiders get No. 1, obviously, they have their pick,“ Nguyen said on the December 7 edition of the “Just Win Podcast.“ “If they get No. 2, then they’re gonna have to possibly bid against another team if they really want the No. 1 pick just to move up one spot. And it seems like a waste of capital, but that’s how business is done. As far as Mendoza, my comp for him is Jared Goff with a little bit more mobility.”
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