The Las Vegas Raiders have the luxury of playing on Monday night, which means they can look at the results of Week 11 before participating in it. This is usually a benefit for teams with playoff hopes or tied in their division, but the Raiders find their own way to benefit from this.
They’re last in the AFC West, and there’s no way they’re even sniffing the playoffs. That means that the only thing they’re realistically playing for is a higher draft pick, which is a bit of an oxymoron given the only way they can improve that pick is by losing, but I digress.
Nov 6, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) attempts a pass in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Last week, the Raiders benefited from a lot of teams pulling off upset victories that sweetened their chance of netting a high draft pick. Unfortunately, the inverse happened this week, and every team that was supposed to lose did.
This means that the Raiders are stuck at the 6th overall pick, with their only hopes of moving into the top five being if any of those teams pull off another huge upset victory. Unfortunately for the Raiders, they have to hope that reality comes to pass, while also losing every game from now on.
Nov 2, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) runs the ball during the second half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
It’s not as if the Raiders have had any difficulties losing this season; they’re 2 – 7 record reflects that, but they’ve had close calls that never go their way. Their losses to the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, and Jacksonville Jaguars were all by 3 points or less.
Losing to the Dallas Cowboys is something the Raiders are more than capable of doing, but they still have the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, and New York Giants left on their schedule. Those are all games where if Geno Smith and the Raiders offense show up, they can beat those teams.
Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
A third win for the Raiders could set them back as far as the 10th pick, which would be detrimental to their rebuild. While taking another offensive player would be a bad decision in the 2026 NFL draft for the Raiders, getting a defensive player of the same caliber as Ashton Jeanty would help them tremendously.
That becomes exponentially more difficult at the 10th overall pick. They can find a gem four spots down, but it’d be better for them not to take that risk. The Raiders have to keep pace with the other teams vying for a top pick if they want next season’s outlook to be better.
Las Vegas Raiders QB Geno Smith, Pete Carroll / Darrell Craig Harris, On SI
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