Much has been made about the NFL playoff picture, but there is also a race to the bottom in the battle for the No. 1 pick. The Las Vegas Raiders officially won the race to the bottom and will have the No. 1 pick.
Las Vegas is in a four-way tie atop the NFL draft order with the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans. All four teams finished at 3-14, but the Raiders own the tiebreaker as a result of having an easier strength of schedule.
Here’s a look at the current NFL draft order. We will continue to update the list of picks as the Week 18 games are completed.
The countdown is officially on for the 2026 NFL draft, which starts on April 23, in Pittsburgh.
As a reminder, each playoff team’s draft order is determined by the postseason results. Here’s a look at the current NFL draft order for all the first-round picks in 2026, per Tankathon.
NFL Draft Order 2026: Projected 1st-Round Picks Amid Week 18 Games
| PICK | TEAM |
| 1. | Las Vegas Raiders (3-14) |
| 2. | New York Jets (3-14) |
| 3. | Arizona Cardinals (3-14) |
| 4. | Tennessee Titans (3-14) |
| 5. | New York Giants (4-13) |
| 6. | Cleveland Browns (5-12) |
| 7. | Washington Commanders (5-12) |
| 8. | New Orleans Saints (6-11) |
| 9. | Kansas City Chiefs (6-11) |
| 10. | Cincinnati Bengals (6-11) |
| 11. | Miami Dolphins (7-10) |
| 12. | Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1) |
| 13. | LA Rams (via Atlanta Falcons) (8-9) |
| 14. | Baltimore Ravens (8-9) |
| 15. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9) |
| 16. | New York Jets (via Colts) (8-9) |
| 17. | Detroit Lions (9-8) |
| 18. | Minnesota Vikings (9-8) |
| Teams in NFL Playoffs | |
| 19. | Carolina Panthers (8-9) |
| 20. | Dallas Cowboys (via Packers) (9-7-1) |
| 21. | Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) |
| 22. | LA Chargers (11-6) |
| 23. | Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) |
| 24. | Buffalo Bills (12-5) |
| 25. | Chicago Bears (11-6) |
| 26. | San Francisco 49ers (12-5) |
| 27. | Houston Texans (12-5) |
| 28. | Cleveland Browns (via Jaguars) (13-4) |
| 29. | LA Rams (12-5) |
| 30. | New England Patriots (14-3) |
| 31. | Denver Broncos (14-3) |
| 32. | Seattle Seahawks (14-3) |
Who Will the Raiders Select With the No. 1 Pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Raiders are officially on the clock and face a challenging decision on who the team will select with the No. 1 pick. Las Vegas could look to replace quarterback Geno Smith after just one season amid his struggles. It remains to be seen if Pete Carroll will be with the Raiders in 2026 to help make the selection given the hot seat chatter.
Fresh off winning the Heisman Trophy, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the early favorite to be the No. 1 pick at -450, per FanDuel. Oregon signal-caller Dante Moore is a distant second at +430.
Raiders fans have even more reason to watch the Peach Bowl on January 9, as Mendoza leads Indiana against Moore’s Oregon with a spot in the national championship on the line.
“Raiders’ fans wondering if there is a ‘can’t-miss’ quarterback in this class are asking the wrong question,” The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and Chris Burke wrote in a January 4, 2026, story titled, “Las Vegas Raiders clinch No. 1 pick in 2026 NFL Draft.” “Instead, the question should be: Is there a quarterback who can become a top-12 player at his position in the NFL?
“If Las Vegas’ front office believes that answer is ‘yes,’ then that should be the pick — and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza shows that type of promise. With his pre- and post-snap intelligence, Mendoza has been a perfect fit in the Hoosiers’ RPO-heavy scheme and has the accuracy to make dagger throws at every level of the field,” Brugler and Burke added.
“He doesn’t have dynamic athleticism, but he isn’t a statue either and shows encouraging sack avoidance. His play style and skill set are reminiscent of Jared Goff.”
NFL Draft Order 2026: List of Final 1st-Round Picks Updated After Week 18