No. 1 draft pick on the line for Giants - Raiders clash
For the first time in NFL history, Sunday’s game is a meeting of two teams on nine-game losing streaks.
There is a lot to play for when the New York Giants travel to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, December 28.
Two of the worst teams in the NFL this season, the Giants-Raiders clash will be the first time that two teams on nine-game losing streaks have met in an NFL game. Both teams will be eager to avoid a double-digit skid, but there is more at stake than mere pride.
ESPN Analytics predict that Sunday’s game will have a significant bearing on the 2026 NFL Draft order, particularly the all-important No. 1 pick. Both teams have a league-worst 2-13 record heading into the game and the Giants and Raiders have a 37.6% and 36.2% chance, respectively, of taking the No. 1 pick.
Should the Giants lose on Sunday, their odds of taking the No. 1 pick leap to 73%. If the Raiders suffer a loss, their chances go to 69%. Whichever team wins is essentially out of the running for the first pick.
Unlike the NBA, which partially randomizes the order with a draft lottery, the NFL draft order is a direct reversal of the previous season’s performance. The worse a team’s record, the better their draft pick.
However both teams will insist that they are out to win and avoid the ignominy of a ten-game losing streak.
“I mean, I really don’t think we talk about that part too much about the draft positioning and wanting a certain pick or anything like that,” said Wan’Dale Robinson, Giants wide receiver. “I think we just want to go out there and play our best football and go out there and get a win.”
“Yeah, I don’t give a s*** about the pick, to be honest. I don’t play for that. That’s not my job,” Raiders edge Rusher Maxx Crosby agreed. “My job is to be the best defensive end in the world. That’s what I focus on every day. And being a great leader, being an influence, being that guy on a consistent basis for my team."
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