Barring an upset the size of the Loma Prieta earthquake, the Oakland Raiders appear to have the number one overall pick in the NFL draft locked up.  The real race is now for the number two pick, who the Raiders should draft, but won’t.

The race to the first overall pick is currently controlled by the Oakland Raiders with their 1-11 record. The Silver and Black are suffering through a futile decade-plus of losing, having not qualified for the playoffs since their Super Bowl loss in 2002. They are on track to secure the #1 pick for the second time (2007) in that stretch of high school football played at the pro level.

Rookie quarterback , selected 36th overall (2nd round), has started every game this season for Oakland. He sports a 59.3% completion percentage and a 14/11 TD/INT ratio but currently ranks 34th (out of 35) in (Average Net Yards per Pass Attempt) with a 5.0. League leader has posted a 10.1 this season and only Carr, fellow rookies and , and the execrable clock in below 6.0. The jury is still out on whether Carr can develop into a capable quarterback, but the body of evidence is starting to suggest that he will not pan out. Without a clear-cut #1 player or quarterback available, the Raiders will have a tough decision on whether to go best player available or with the top rated quarterback, Marcus Mariota.

Eliminated W L T Pct Scored Allowed Net Pts Home Road Div Conf Non-
Conf
Carolina Panthers 3 8 1 .292 228 331 -103 2-4 1-4-1 1-2 3-6 0-2-1
New York Giants 3 9 0 .250 257 319 -62 2-4 1-5 1-3 2-7 1-2
Washington Redskins 3 9 0 .250 244 322 -78 2-3 1-6 1-2 1-7 2-2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2 10 0 .167 220 314 -94 0-6 2-4 0-4 1-7 1-3
Tennessee Titans 2 10 0 .167 213 338 -125 1-4 1-6 1-3 2-7 0-3
New York Jets 2 10 0 .167 190 319 -129 2-5 0-5 0-4 2-7 0-3
Jacksonville Jaguars 2 10 0 .167 186 329 -143 2-4 0-6 0-3 1-7 1-3
Oakland Raiders 1 11 0 .083 176 337 -161 1-5 0-6 1-3 1-8 0-3

 

Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars have the inside track to the 2nd pick right now, but the New York Jets threaten from the outside as they appear determined to scuttle their own ship. General Manager John Idzik’s insistence on starting Geno Smith at QB and Rex Ryan’s 49 rush/13 pass game plan against the Miami Dolphins on Monday night in Week 13 suggest the Jets will remain near the bottom of the league. The implosion of the Jets cannot be underestimated, as Jacksonville, Tennessee and Tampa Bay don’t seem to have the GM and head coach openly feuding.

Just ahead in the standings, the Washington Football Club and the Giants clock in with three wins apiece – likely too many to get a top-5 pick, but not enough to matter. These teams are likely looking at the next tier of prospects, including Alabama safety Landon Collins, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, and Notre Dame offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley.

With four games left in the season, there is still enough time for a shake-up at the bottom of the league. However, given Oakland’s difficult schedule (SF, at KC, BUF, at DEN), the Raiders are still in prime position to land the top pick in next year’s draft.

SoSH Football Central is football; from Division 3 to FBS to the NFL, to the terminology and film, we cover offense, defense, special teams and football science.

David R. McCullough

Lead Editor at Football Central
David R. McCullough is the Managing Editor of Football Central. He has a B.A. in journalism from Antioch College, where the lack of a football team is proudly proclaimed on shirts sold in the bookstore, and might someday finish his M.A. at Boston University. He lives in the Boston area with a toddler and a very understanding, patient wife.

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