The Las Vegas Raiders’ win on Sunday may have ruined their chances of getting the top pick in the NFL Draft next spring.
The Raiders defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 19-14 on Sunday, giving them their third win of the year and snapping a 10-game losing skid. In turn, the Raiders fell from the projected No. 2 pick in the draft to No. 6. Heading into Week 17 of the regular season, the New York Giants have sole possession of the top pick in the draft.
While that win upset many Raiders fans, head coach Antonio Pierce insists he doesn’t care about the team’s draft pick when games are on the line.
“We’re not doing this to lose,” Pierce said Monday, via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez. “We’re not doing this for anyone’s fantasy football team. We’re not doing this for anyone’s draft projections. None of that matters to us. All that matters is winning, and that’s all we want to do.”
While it will undoubtedly take more than a good first draft pick to turn around a franchise, the No. 1 pick could do a lot for the Raiders on that front. Charles McDonald and Nate Tice of Yahoo Sports had Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders as two of their top three picks in the upcoming draft, with Heisman winner Travis Hunter sandwiched between them.
Both quarterbacks would be great options for the Raiders, who have rotated between Aidan O’Connell, Gardner Minshew and Desmond Ridder at the position amid their struggles and various injuries.
The last time the Raiders had the No. 1 overall pick was in 2007, when they acquired quarterback JaMarcus Russell. He was only the third quarterback the team had selected in the first round of the draft since 1970.
After the Giants, the New England Patriots, Jaguars, Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans will pick the Raiders in the draft if the season were to end now. The Raiders conclude their season with games against the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers. Even if they lose, it will take help from the Giants and others for the Raiders to climb back to No. 1.
While a top pick could mean losing his job, O’Connell is just keeping his head down.
“I don’t read anything, so I don’t really hear it,” he said on Sunday. “Ignorance is absolute bliss, and that’s how I roll.”
