The dust has settled on the 2025 NFL regular season, and with Week 18 in the books, football fans are already turning their attention to the 2026 NFL Draft. After a whirlwind of last-minute upsets and dramatic finishes, the Las Vegas Raiders have clinched the coveted No. 1 overall pick, setting the stage for what promises to be a captivating draft in Pittsburgh from April 23 to 25, 2026.
For the Raiders, it’s a bittersweet milestone. Despite pulling off a win against the Kansas City Chiefs in their regular-season finale, Las Vegas finished with a 3-14 record. That mark, combined with the tiebreaker of the league’s weakest strength of schedule among three-win teams, ensured the Raiders would pick first overall. It’s a moment the franchise hasn’t experienced since 2007, when they famously selected JaMarcus Russell out of LSU. According to Sports Illustrated, “It’s the first time since 2007, when they selected JaMarcus Russell out of LSU, that the franchise has the top pick in the draft.”
But how did the rest of the order shake out? The New York Giants’ 34-17 upset win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18 had ripple effects across the draft board. Had the Giants lost, they could have secured the No. 2 or even No. 1 pick, but their victory dropped them to fifth. That opened the door for the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and Tennessee Titans—all finishing with 3-14 records—to slide up the board. The Jets, benefiting from a loss to the Buffalo Bills, will select second, followed by the Cardinals at third and the Titans at fourth. The Giants, at 4-13, round out the top five.
The rest of the top ten features a mix of teams looking to rebuild and those hoping to reload after disappointing campaigns. The Cleveland Browns, who had flirted with the bottom of the standings, won their last two games to finish 5-12 and secure the sixth pick. The Washington Commanders, also at 5-12, moved up to seventh after a stunning Week 18 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, and Cincinnati Bengals all finished at 6-11, with the Saints picking eighth, the Chiefs ninth, and the Bengals rounding out the top ten.
Draft order is always a hot topic, but the NFL’s tiebreakers make for some intriguing drama. Picks are awarded by lowest winning percentage, and when multiple teams share a record, the first tiebreaker is strength of schedule. If that doesn’t break the tie, division or conference records come into play. As outlined in FOX Sports, “The Raiders were able to secure the No. 1 overall pick despite defeating the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday because they had the tiebreaker over the three other three-win teams, holding the worst strength of schedule of the group.”
For the Bengals, Chiefs, and Saints, their identical records meant their draft fate hung on the razor-thin margins of their opponents’ success. The Saints, with a slightly weaker schedule, edged ahead at No. 8, followed by the Chiefs and Bengals at nine and ten, respectively. The Miami Dolphins, at 7-10, just missed the top ten, landing at pick eleven, while the Dallas Cowboys, who finished 7-9-1 after that tough loss to the Giants, will pick twelfth.
It’s not just the teams at the top who will be closely watched in April. The Los Angeles Rams, by virtue of a trade with the Atlanta Falcons, own the thirteenth pick, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets (via the Indianapolis Colts) will pick at fourteen and fifteen. The rest of the top eighteen is filled out by the Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings, all of whom finished with winning records but missed the playoffs or exited early. As always, the order for picks nineteen through thirty-two will be determined by playoff results, adding another layer of suspense as the postseason unfolds.
With the draft heading to Pittsburgh—a city steeped in football tradition—anticipation is already building. The first round will take place on Thursday night, followed by rounds two and three on Friday, with the remaining rounds on Saturday. Fans and analysts alike are already speculating about who will go first overall, and the early favorite is Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Other names drawing attention include Oregon’s Dante Moore, Miami’s Rueben Bain, Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, and Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk. As Sports Illustrated notes, “Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the betting favorite to go first overall.”
It’s a draft class loaded with intrigue, and the stakes couldn’t be higher for teams like the Raiders, Jets, Cardinals, and Titans, all desperate to find the cornerstone player who can turn their fortunes around. The Giants, despite their late-season surge, will have to settle for the fifth pick—a costly win, perhaps, but one that could still yield a franchise-altering talent.
Of course, the drama doesn’t end with the non-playoff teams. The playoff picture, still developing as of Sunday night, will further shape the back half of the first round. Teams like the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers (pick owned by the Cowboys), Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars (pick owned by the Browns), Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, and Seattle Seahawks all await their final draft positions, which will be determined by how deep they go in the postseason.
For now, all eyes are on the teams at the top. The Raiders, with their first No. 1 pick in nearly two decades, have a golden opportunity to reshape their future. The Jets, Cardinals, and Titans, all picking in the top four, will be under immense pressure to get their selections right. And with a quarterback-heavy class, the intrigue will only intensify as April approaches.
As the 2026 NFL Draft order locks into place, fans in Pittsburgh and across the league are gearing up for what promises to be one of the most consequential drafts in recent memory. With so many teams hungry for a turnaround and a new generation of stars ready to make their mark, the countdown to draft night has officially begun.
