With a clear path to the No. 1 pick, a lot of changes are expected in Las Vegas this offseason
After losing to the New York Giants this past Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders have a clear path to securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft by losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the season finale. That will officially ignite the Raiders’ offseason rebuild, where questions about Maxx Crosby’s future in Las Vegas will ensue. In fact, that’s already a big topic of discussion when it comes to the Week 18 NFL Power Rankings.
ESPN
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 32
What we learned this season: The Raiders need to embrace a full rebuild.
Coach Pete Carroll was brought in to change the culture within the organization and make the team competitive right away. The truth is that the Raiders are far from being competitive and could soon be searching for a new head coach for the third straight season. Sunday marked their 10th double-digit loss in 2025, and quarterback Geno Smith threw multiple interceptions yet again. It’s time they embrace a full rebuild through the draft and development. This offseason will provide an opportunity to do so, as ESPN Analytics gives them an 80% shot at the No. 1 pick. At the same time, it might be worth it to explore trading star defensive end Maxx Crosby, who is 28 with aspirations of winning. The Raiders have won a combined six games in the past two seasons. — Ryan McFadden
It may not be popular, but McFadden is sharing a lot of the same sentiments that I’ve been saying for a few weeks now. Trading Crosby should be on the table this offseason, and after last week’s news that he and the organization are at odds about him getting shut down for the final two games, it seems like that could become a reality in the spring. Of course, a lot can change in the coming months, and the Raiders would have to get a significant return for a trade to be worth it. But it’s safe to say that Crosby’s future in Las Vegas is, at least, in question.
NFL.com
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 32
Geno Smith was crushed after throwing his second interception on Sunday, replaced by Kenny Pickett, and it’s at least possible that’s the last we’ve seen of the 35-year-old quarterback in Las Vegas. The Geno experiment just hasn’t worked out as hoped, with the 34-10 loss to the Giants raising his INT total to a league-worst 17 as the Raiders moved into the driver’s seat for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Whether that pick lands Vegas the passer of the future or not remains to be seen, but it’s clear that it could be one of several major changes to occur. We need to see what Pete Carroll’s future is, and then there’s the whole Maxx Crosby situation. Once again, the Raiders are a near-teardown, and it’s no guarantee they’ll do enough next offseason to be competitive. — Eric Edholm
Edholm’s last sentence is significant. The Silver and Black’s roster needs a good amount of work, and if the organization rebuilds this offseason properly, the Raiders should be one of the youngest teams in the league next year. That means they probably won’t win many games in 2026, but at least they’ll be developing a young core and laying the team’s foundation.
In other words, I think a realistic expectation for the 2026 Raiders is that they’ll be like the 2014 squad that was led by rookies Derek Carr and Khalil Mack. That team went just 3-13, but the young core got valuable NFL experience to finish 7-9 in 2015 and then end the franchise’s playoff drought the following year.
Bleacher Report
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 32
When the Las Vegas Raiders hired Pete Carroll and traded for Geno Smith, the expectation was that they would help deliver a more competitive team right away. That hasn’t happened, and the Raiders now appear to be actively trying to lose games. Las Vegas announced that it was shutting down both Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby ahead of its Week 17 game against the New York Giants—a game that would hand the loser control of the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft. Teams tank all the time in the NFL. However, Raiders fans would probably feel better about the current state of affairs if they hadn’t been sold on the idea that tanking wouldn’t be part of the 2025 plan. — Kristopher Knox
Being in a position to get the No. 1 overall pick definitely wasn’t the message Carroll conveyed to his team and the fanbase, which is what makes this season so frustrating and disappointing. However, Las Vegas has been stuck in quarterback purgatory for several years now. So, maybe this is what the franchise needed, as it’s easier than ever to hit the reset button.
The Athletic
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 32
Head coach check-in: Back to school?
The Raiders’ Week 1 win over New England might go down as the most inexplicable result of the season. Las Vegas is 1-13 since, and Pete Carroll may not be the oldest coach in the NFL much longer. At least Carroll understood the assignment. The Raiders put Maxx Crosby on IR against his will last week and then needed only 2 hours, 49 minutes to lose to the Giants, likely securing the top pick. — Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
To be honest, I’m not sure what to make of Crosby and Bowers going on IR regarding what it means for Carroll’s future. I can see the argument that Carroll wouldn’t sign off on that unless he’s guaranteed to be retained in the offseason. On the other hand, that could also be a move where Tom Brady, Mark Davis and John Spytek take the power away from the head coach since the head coach won’t be back and make a decision that’s in the organization’s long-term interests. Regardless, ‘Black Monday’ will be an eventful day in Southern Nevada.
The Ringer
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 32
The best thing I can say about the Raiders? They left no doubt that they deserve to have the top pick in the 2026 draft. A team that can’t put up any resistance against the lowly Giants clearly needs all the roster help it can get. Picking quarterback prospect Fernando Mendoza should be an easy choice for Las Vegas, and he’s the best shot this franchise has to reset some of its awful vibes from this year. — Diante Lee
I wholeheartedly agree with what Lee says here about taking Mendoza. We’ve been waiting for the Raiders to have an opportunity to finally have a chance at securing a franchise quarterback, and they need to take advantage of the situation they’re in. I know everyone isn’t completely sold on Mendoza and wants to hold out for next year’s class, but there is too much risk involved with that line of thinking, in my opinion. A quarterback in the hand is worth two in 2027.
Category: General Sports
