Winners and losers of the first 18 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft

For 18 NFL teams, the season is over, and all roads now lead to the 2026 NFL Draft running from April 23-25. While some teams will look forward to making potentially franchise-altering moves, others will have to work with the position they've been dealt. 

Here are two winners and two losers picking in the first half of the 2026 NFL draft.

Winner: Las Vegas Raiders

The last time the Raiders got to pick first overall, the team drafted quarterback JaMarcus Russell in 2007, and, well, the rest has been a history of mediocrity. Still, the best chance to turn around any ailing franchise is to draft a young quarterback the team believes can be its franchise leader. 

Of course, that's easier said than done, and young quarterbacks can fail for many reasons, one of them being landing on a team with a weak infrastructure. But with Tom Brady, the Raiders' minority owner, reportedly spearheading the search for a new head coach and offensive weapons like tight end Brock Bowers, the Raiders have the best chance in over a decade to reset the franchise.

Loser: New York Giants

The Giants could've had the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft if they had lost to the Raiders in Week 17. The Giants beat them, 34-10. New York then had another shot at the No. 1 pick if they lost to the Dallas Cowboys and the Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs the following week. The Raiders beat the Chiefs, 14-12, with a walk-off field goal. The Giants beat the Cowboys, who sat quarterback Dak Prescott for the second half, 34-17.

The Giants dropped all the way from the first overall pick to the fifth pick in the 2026 draft. While New York isn't desperate for a quarterback with Jaxson Dart providing hope for the future, the team likely won't be able to entice anyone to trade up to their position. So, the Giants will have to be happy with who falls to them at No. 5 and hope they make an immediate impact.

Winner: New Orleans Saints

Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough was drafted in the second round of last year's draft. He wasn't expected to make much noise this season, but a late-season surge with the 26-year-old under center gave Saints fans something to cheer for. Finally, New Orleans may have the QB to build around, but it was even better that he couldn't lead them to a final win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Ending the season at 6-11 gave the Saints the eighth overall pick instead of falling out of the top 10. Head coach Kellen Moore will get a chance to pick a playmaker who can change the complexion of his offense in his second year as a head coach. He'll also be able to pair Shough with someone who can help accelerate his development.

Loser: Los Angeles Rams

After trading their first-round pick in 2025 for the Falcons' first-round pick in 2026, the Rams were in position to be a playoff contender and possibly get a top-10 pick. The team even got to play the Falcons, but couldn't keep its pick in the top 10 after losing 27-24.

The Rams are in a tricky situation as perennial playoff contenders who know life after quarterback Matthew Stafford, 37, is coming. With the 13th pick in this year's draft and the class not deep this year, the Rams will have to rely on their scouting department to find the best players under the radar to keep avoiding a full-on rebuild.