Silver Minings: NFL Draft order update, Raiders in driver’s seat for QB

Las Vegas got some help this weekend when it comes to the No. 1 overall pick

The Las Vegas Raiders managed to lose another game in Week 14 while Aidan O’Connell played poorly, continuing to shift Raider Nation’s attention to the 2025 NFL Draft and finding a quarterback.

Also, O’Connell suffered what is feared to be a season-ending injury, meaning he won’t be able to salvage the performance which pushes Las Vegas further into the quarterback discussion this April.

So, let’s take a look at the updated draft order.

Top 10

Order below is via Tankathon.com.

1. Las Vegas Raiders 2-11
2. New York Giants 2-11
3. New England Patriots 3-10
4. Carolina Panthers 3-10
5. Jacksonville Jaguars 3-10
6. Tennessee Titans 3-10
7. New York Jets 3-10
8. Cleveland Browns 3-10
9. Chicago Bears 4-9
10. Cincinnati Bengals 4-8*

*The Bengals play the Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

The Raiders moved up into the No. 1 pick after the Jaguars managed to beat the Titans on Sunday. Especially with Desmond Ridder likely starting the rest of the season, that puts Las Vegas in a good spot to “earn” the top selection, however, the next three games are winnable.

The Falcons have lost four in a row while Kirk Cousins has played terribly, Jacksonville also will be playing a backup quarterback as Mac Jones fills in for Trevor Lawrence on injured reserve, and Derek Carr suffered an injury which could mean the Saints are starting a reserve in Week 17.

So, these last four weeks will really show how bad the Raiders are this season if they don’t win one of those three matchups.

In Other Raiders’ Links:

• Raiders open as underdogs: This is good news for those rooting for a tank as even with Atlanta’s recent struggles, the Falcons are still 5.5-point favorites at home on Monday night, per our friends at FanDuel.
• One more month of suffering: “Somehow, it just gets worse. A season that was much anticipated, now can’t end soon enough as the Las Vegas Raiders continue a serious nose dive under beleaguered first-year head coach Antonio Pierce as the issues pile up,” via Silver and Black Pride’s Bill Williamson.
• No quarterback mandate from Mark Davis: “And the reemerging rumors of Davis issuing a mandate that general manager Tom Telesco must draft a quarterback? Simply not true, said a team source with knowledge of the situation,” ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez wrote.
• Post-game comments: Hear from the players after Sunday’s loss via the team’s YouTube page.