Raiders secure No. 1 overall pick in NFL draft after Giants' win over Cowboys

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Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll watches his team warm up before an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

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4:22 PM on Sunday, January 4

By The Associated Press

The Las Vegas Raiders will pick first in this year's NFL draft after the New York Giants defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34-17 on Sunday.

The Giants' victory assured that the Raiders, who were 2-14 entering their Sunday home game against the Kansas City Chiefs, would have the worst record.

If the Giants (4-13) had lost to Dallas, Las Vegas only would have secured the top pick with a loss to the Chiefs. New York's victory made that outcome irrelevant for the Raiders as it relates to the draft.

This is just the second time the Raiders have had the top pick. The then-Oakland Raiders selected quarterback JaMarcus Russell out of LSU with the No. 1 choice in 2007. He became one of the franchise's top draft busts.

The Raiders could take a chance on another quarterback this year by drafting Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza of Indiana or Oregon's Dante Moore.

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