This year’s emerging list of contenders says a lot about the wide-open playoff picture. However, the race for the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft has been fairly steady between five main teams: the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, and New York Giants. The Titans are in contention for the top spot for the second year in a row, but the Saints are in trouble after their seventh straight loss and the Raiders are in the running with a tough upcoming schedule.
As far as top players to watch in the upcoming class go, Ohio State linebacker Arvel Reese tops Dan Brugler’s 2026 Draft Big Board. There are plenty of questions about the top quarterback, but Alabama’s Ty Simpson is the top option on Brugler’s big board, though his experience is more limited than many NFL teams desire at the most important position in the game.
With Week 13 almost complete, here’s a look at the race to see who will have the first pick from Pittsburgh in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tennessee Titans (1-11)
The Titans are the only winning team in the league and have lost six in a row since firing head coach Brian Callahan in October. Their loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday deprived them of a win at home this season, but perhaps Titans fans can take some solace from the fact that this loss increased their chances of locking up next year’s top pick to more than 50 percent.
Tennessee’s top pick in last year’s draft was quarterback Cam Ward, who didn’t exactly bring any fireworks to the organization in his rookie season. Ward has a 59.4 percent completion rate and has thrown for seven touchdowns to six interceptions as the Titans’ starter. For now, the Titans are well-positioned to get another major opportunity to fuel their rebuild, especially since they already lost to the Raiders in Week 6, although the Week 17 showdown with the Saints will be huge.
Remaining schedule: at Cleveland Browns, at San Francisco 49ers, vs. Kansas City Chiefs, vs. New Orleans Saints, at Jacksonville Jaguars
Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)
While some first-year coaches are seeing early results, the Raiders have struggled under the leadership of Pete Carroll. Tight end Brock Bowers may be an explosive playmaker, but the rest of the offense is struggling. Las Vegas ranks in the bottom three in the league in yards per game and second in points per game. Sunday’s 31-14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers increased the Raiders’ odds for the top pick to about 18 percent.
According to ESPN, these odds could continue to rise as the Raiders have the second-toughest remaining schedule in the league, although their head-to-head win over the Titans means they are effectively two games behind in the race.
Remaining schedule: vs. Denver Broncos, at Philadelphia Eagles, at Houston Texans, vs. New York Giants, vs. Kansas City Chiefs
New Orleans Saints (2-10)
Despite a second-half rally and a successful onside kick, New Orleans was not able to defeat the Miami Dolphins. The Saints’ latest loss officially eliminated them from playoff contention; However, his chances for next year’s top selection increased to nearly 14 percent. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shaw takes over after a 1-7 start under Spencer Rattler, but the Saints are still figuring out what they have with their 2025 second-round selection. Shaw helped lead the Saints to a win in his first career start against the Carolina Panthers, but he needs to continue to grow to be the Saints’ quarterback of the future.
Most impactful for the Saints’ No. 1 pick chances, however, is the Week 17 game against the Titans, where a loss could nearly double their chances.
Remaining schedule: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, vs. Carolina Panthers, vs. New York Jets, at Tennessee Titans, at Atlanta Falcons
The Saints, with a Week 17 game with the Titans, will likely earn the No. 1 pick if they lose all of their remaining games. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
New York Giants (2-10)
The Giants have about a 4 percent chance of getting the top pick in the draft entering their “Monday Night Football” matchup against the New England Patriots. A loss would increase their chances to about 5 percent, however a win would take them out of the running as their chances would drop to less than 1 percent.
Remaining schedule: New England Patriots, vs. Washington Commanders, vs. Minnesota Vikings, vs. Las Vegas Raiders, vs. Dallas Cowboys
New York Jets (3-9)
The Jets entered Sunday with the third-best odds for the No. 1 pick and were looking at a 17 percent advantage if they were to lose against the Atlanta Falcons.
Instead, the Jets led the Falcons 27–24 thanks to a 56-yard Nick Folk field goal as time expired. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor got his first win since replacing Justin Fields, and New York can feel good after a breakout game from wide receiver Eddie Mitchell. Still, New York started this season 0-7 and made it clear it was looking forward after trading its two best defensive players at the deadline. The Jets are lagging behind in the race for the top pick, but an early pick is totally on the table.
Remaining schedule: vs. Miami Dolphins, at Jacksonville Jaguars, at New Orleans Saints, vs. New England Patriots, at Buffalo Bills
<a href=