The Raiders’ chances of getting one of the top picks in the draft took a hit on Sunday with their 19-14 win over the Jaguars, but is there a way they can still jump ahead of the Giants in the draft?
With the Giants fully embracing the “tank”, it seems like a long shot that they will win one of their final two games, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter floated a theory this week that could potentially push the Raiders back ahead of the Giants in the draft.
As Schefter explained it, the Giants could run into a division rival in week 18 that has motivation of their own to lose.
“If the Eagles season is in hand and they have nothing at stake, I would say they would not want to get Saquon the [rushing] record because, you know what, they would want to sit down, rest their players, and make sure the Giants win that last game,” Schefter said on ESPN’s Get Up.
“So the Giants then fall from 1 or 2 to 7 and don’t get their quarterback of the future.”
What might make Schefter’s scenario a little more viable is the fact that Jalen Hurts is still dealing with concussion symptoms and would presumably benefit from another week on the sideline.
The Raiders have other quarterback-needy teams ahead of them in the current draft order, but the Jaguars and Titans play this week, and the Browns just reworked Deshaun Watson’s deal in a way that essentially ties them together for another two years.
For their part, the Raiders still need to lose to the Saints this week, and if head coach Antonio Pierce has made anything clear in the last six days, it’s that he doesn’t have any concerns about the draft.
Considering Pierce is no guarantee to be back with the Raiders next year, it makes sense that he isn’t thinking about anything other than the next two games.
Courtrest of Tankathon, here is the current NFL draft order…
x: @raidersbeat
A self important little man that no value in professional football. Anyone that gets paid by spreading cheese, good or bad is nobody special. Oh, and the mindless that believe we should lose to take anyone that rhetorical gibberish says we should lines up as cheese.
Pretty sad day for sports when teams start tanking… no Raiders team has ever tanked… really sad when Raider fans want that…HOPE THEY CONTINUE TO GET BETTER…RAIDERS!!!
Um, many raiders teams tanked. Process this.
When you know your owner is over the wire mentally and your HC is a puppet. He brings in some old A list players that skate with a huge contract. And said owner drafts himself. Runs a cover zero defense until the day he dies with poor talent.
You must be really young or spend most of the time watching the raiderettes
Can’t vouch for the quality of the head coach but he is trying to win, the players want to win and show no signs of tanking at all. These players have a lot of self respect and definitely want to look good for next years contracts whether it be with or without the raiders !!
Players and coaches want to win, owner and G.M. Are quietly rooting for them to lose.