Tie For Top Draft Spot a Silver Lining in Raiders' Loss?

The Las Vegas Raiders lost their fifth straight game on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, but there is at least a silver lining.

Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce reacts against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders lost again. 

They are now 2-7 after a 41-24 thrashing by the Cincinnati Bengals. The Raiders showed flashes in this game but could not keep up with Joe Burrow's high-powered offense. 

Things have gone badly for head coach Antonio Pierce in his first season as the full-time head coach. This was not what the team expected when they pushed for him to get the job after leading a productive second half of 2023 in an interim role. 

However, if there is any silver lining to this loss, it is the fact that the Raiders are now tied for the top selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

The Raiders are tied with the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Cleveland Browns, who all have a 2-7 record. The Raiders’ .517 strength of schedule could help them eventually secure the top selection, although it is still early. 

Las Vegas is on a five-game losing streak, which has propelled them to this position. It is currently the second-longest losing streak in the NFL behind the Saints, who have lost seven games in a row after winning their first two games of the year.

If it wasn’t obvious before this loss to the Bengals, it is now: the Raiders have to begin a rebuild. 

This team has little to build on for the future, and if they are not winning in the present, they should be thinking about the next couple of years. If this stretch of losing continues, the Raiders will be in a prime position to secure the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft. 

If they do end the season with the league’s worst record, the Raiders will be in a great spot to select their quarterback of the future. This draft has a few quarterbacks who fit the bill of a franchise quarterback, including Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward. 

Both quarterbacks are exciting players whose live arms will bring life to a listless Raiders offense. 

While Raiders fans are upset that the team is not competing in the present, the chance at having the top pick in the draft has to be some kind of consolation. 

Securing the top selection and finding the team’s quarterback of the future would be exciting if the season ends that way.

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