The Chicago Bears and New England Patriots, two teams with new head coaches after dismal 2024 seasons, lead the NFC and AFC, respectively, through Week 13.
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This year’s evolving 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 among five main teams: the Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and New York Giants. The Titans are in pole position to secure the top pick for the second consecutive year, but the Saints’ odds are rising after their seventh loss in a row and the Raiders are very much in the running with a tough upcoming schedule.
As for the top players to watch in the upcoming class, Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese ranks at the top of Dane Brugler’s 2026 draft big board. There are plenty of questions around the top quarterbacks, 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 sport.
With Week 13 nearly complete, here’s a look at the race for who will make the first selection from Pittsburgh in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Tennessee Titans (1-11)
The Titans are the only one-win team in the league and have lost six straight since their October firing of head coach Brian Callahan. Their Sunday loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars kept them winless at home this season, but perhaps Titans fans can take some solace in the fact that the loss also boosted their odds to lock in next year’s top pick to over 50 percent.
Tennessee’s top pick in last year’s draft was quarterback Cam Ward, who hasn’t exactly brought fireworks to the organization in his rookie season. Ward has a 59.4 percent completion rate and has thrown seven touchdowns to six interceptions as the Titans’ starter. For now, the Titans are well-positioned to get another prime opportunity to fuel their rebuild, particularly because they already lost to the Raiders in Week 6, though a Week 17 showdown with the Saints will loom large.
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 been struggling under Pete Carroll. Tight end Brock Bowers can 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 to last in points per game. A 31-14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday lifted the Raiders’ odds for the top pick to about 18 percent.
Those odds could continue to rise because the Raiders have the second-most difficult remaining schedule in the league, according to ESPN.
Remaining schedule: vs. Denver Broncos, at Philadelphia Eagles, at Houston Texans, vs. New York Giants, vs. Kansas City Chiefs
New Orleans Saints (2-10)
New Orleans wasn’t able to put away the Miami Dolphins despite a second-half rally and a successful onside kick. The Saints’ latest loss officially eliminated them from playoff contention; however, their chances for next year’s top pick were boosted to about 14 percent. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough took over after a 1-7 start under Spencer Rattler, but the Saints are still figuring out exactly what they have with their 2025 second-round pick. Shough helped the Saints win in his first career start against the Carolina Panthers, but he needs to continue on an upward trajectory to be the Saints’ quarterback of the future.
Most impactful to the Saints’ No. 1 pick chances, though, is the Week 17 game against the Titans, where a loss could nearly double their odds.
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 brewing, would likely earn the No. 1 pick if they lost all of their remaining games. (Megan Briggs / Getty Images)
New York Giants (2-10)
The Giants have about a 4 percent chance to get the top pick in the draft entering their “Monday Night Football” matchup against the New England Patriots. A loss would give their chances a slight bump to about 5 percent, though a win would likely knock them out of the running as their chances would dip to less than 1 percent.
Remaining schedule: at New England Patriots, vs. Washington Commanders, vs. Minnesota Vikings, at 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 would have seen a 17 percent boost if they lost against the Atlanta Falcons.
Instead, the Jets edged away from 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 AD Mitchell. Still, New York started this season 0-7 and made it clear it is looking ahead after trading its two best defensive players at the deadline. The Jets are falling behind in the race for the top pick, but an early selection is completely on the table.
Remaining schedule: vs. Miami Dolphins, at Jacksonville Jaguars, at New Orleans Saints, vs. New England Patriots, at Buffalo Bills
