Overview
- Las Vegas clinches the top pick with a loss to the Chiefs, while the Giants can claim No. 1 only with a loss to the Cowboys, a Raiders win, and at least one win plus one tie from the Falcons, Bears, Browns and Seahawks.
- The latest projections place the Raiders at No. 1 and the Giants at No. 2 entering the weekend, with identical records sorted by opponents’ overall records.
- Detroit holds No. 15 entering Week 18 and can finish anywhere from No. 11 to No. 18, with The New York Times modeling the most likely outcomes at No. 13 (23%) and No. 14 (25%).
- Because the Lions have the weakest strength of schedule among the 8–8 non-playoff teams, a loss to Chicago likely ensures they remain at least in the top 15.
- Several first-rounders are affected by trades, including Atlanta’s pick slated to the Rams and Indianapolis’ pick to the Jets, while early mock drafts project the Raiders targeting QB Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 and the Lions eyeing CB Mansoor Delane around No. 15.