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The Las Vegas Raiders have clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft following the New York Giants' 34-17 win against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18.
The Giants improved to 4-13 with Sunday's (January 4) win, which guarantees the Raiders, who enter Week 18 at 2-14, will finish with a lower winning percentage regardless of the outcome of their afternoon game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The full draft order excluding playoff teams will be determined after the conclusion of the Week 18 slate, which will be capped off with the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers to determine the AFC North Division title.
The Raiders have only had the No. 1 pick once in franchise history, when the then-Oakland team selected former LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell in the 2007 NFL Draft. Las Vegas selected former Boise State running back at No. 6 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft and former Georgia tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Raiders started the NFL season with a 20-13 win against the eventual AFC East Division champion New England Patriots before losing four consecutive games prior to a win against the Tennessee Titans on October 12. Las Vegas entered Sunday's game against the Chiefs on a 10-game losing streak which began with a road loss in their first of two annual matchups against Kansas City.