What draft position would Raiders have if season ended today?
Sunday’s loss to the Colts eliminated the Raiders from playoff contention, which starts the clock on the offseason.
The Raiders have major decisions to make before the NFL draft that could alter the direction they choose to go, but each week has a big impact on when that pick will be made.
With the loss to the Colts, the Raiders’ pick in the first round moved from No. 13 to No. 11.
Sunday’s season finale against the Broncos could create big swings in the draft order. The Broncos (8-8) are one game ahead of the Raiders (7-9) in the standings, but the teams would be tied if the Raiders win.
While the Raiders would have swept the season series in that case, the tiebreaker is strength of schedule. The Raiders currently have a slightly higher percentage there, which means the Broncos would choose in front of them in case of a tie unless that number flips.
As it stands, the Raiders still probably would be outside the area where they would have a shot at one of the top three quarterbacks.
Perhaps Michael Penix of Washington could be in the mix, though there are question marks about him that will have to be answered in the draft process.
Jer’Zhan Newton, an explosive interior defensive lineman from Illinois, remains a key player to watch.
Moving up two spots could also start to get the Raiders in the range of drafting an elite offensive line prospect, such as Notre Dame’s Joe Alt.
Penn State’s Olu Fashanu is another tackle who could be available in that range.
First-round draft order after Week 17:
1. Bears (from Panthers, 2-14)
2. Commanders 4-12
3. Patriots 4-12
4. Cardinals 4-12
5. Giants 5-11
6. Chargers 5-11
7. Titans 5-11
8. Jets 6-10
9. Falcons 7-9
10. Bears 7-9
11. Raiders 7-9
12. Vikings 7-9
13. Saints 8-8
14. Broncos 8-8
15. Seahawks 8-8
16. Bengals 8-8
17. Cardinals (from Texans, 8-8)
18. Steelers 8-8
(Remaining positions determined by playoff results)
19. Packers 8-8
20. Buccaneers 8-8
21. Colts 9-7
22. Jaguars 9-7
23. Rams 9-7
24. Bills 10-6
25. Chiefs 10-6
26. Eagles 11-5
27. Lions 11-5
28. Texans (from Browns, 11-5)
29. Dolphins 11-5
30. Cowboys 11-5
31. 49ers 12-4
32. Ravens 13-3
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
