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 finished the season 3-14 after their 14-12 win Sunday at home 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.
Daniel Carlson made a career-long 60-yard field goal with eight seconds left to give Las Vegas the win and ended the Raiders’ 10-game losing streak. His previous long was 57 yards.
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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