Valuable loss? No. 1 pick in balance for Giants, Raiders

Losing is one thing the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders have done well in 2025, but franchises with matching nine-game losing streaks could have something to celebrate this Sunday when they square off in Las Vegas.

The game amounts to a tiebreaker between 2-13 teams atop the current order for the 2026 NFL Draft, with the losing team this week moving ahead in the race for the No. 1 pick in April.

The Giants (2-13) and Raiders (2-13) might not promise to be the best or most entertaining game Week 17, but there are plenty of other teams and fans interested in the outcome.

Entering the game, the strength of schedule tiebreaker in the formula for determining draft order leans New York. The Giants used a first-round pick to draft quarterback Jaxson Dart in April and he'll start Sunday. If the Giants lose the game and extend the streak of defeats to 10 in a row, New York would not yet be guaranteed the No. 1 draft position. The pick could go back to the Raiders or another team currently with three wins, depending on Week 18 results. The Giants end the season with a game against the Dallas Cowboys.

If the Giants draft second, it might be viewed as a positive omen for longtime fans of the team. It's the spot where the franchise found Lawrence Taylor (1981) and Saquon Barkley (2018).

They haven't had the No. 1 overall pick since the NFL merger. The franchise picked first in 1951 (Kyle Rote) and 1965 (Tucker Frederickson). In 2004, the Giants landed the No. 1 pick in a trade with the Chargers, who drafted Eli Manning with the top selection and shipped him to the Giants for No. 4 pick Philip Rivers.

With Dart in the fold, the chances of the Giants selecting a quarterback under a new head coach are not zero. But they are also not great given Dart's competitive play as a rookie. A trade for multiple picks, or using the selection on an elite offensive lineman, are considered more realistic for the Giants, especially if general manager Joe Schoen is retained.

The Raiders have lost nine consecutive games.

The last time the franchise had the No. 1 pick in the draft, they selected JaMarcus Russell in 2007 and haven't used a first-rounder on a quarterback since.

Oddsmakers put Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza -- top-ranked Indiana's prolific quarterback -- as the current favorite to be the No. 1 pick in 2026.

Not yet out of the running for the No. 1 pick are the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and New York Jets. All four teams are 3-12.

--Field Level Media