NFL Draft tiebreakers: Who gets the No. 1 pick if Raiders and Giants have same record?

With three games remaining in the 2024 regular season, plenty of teams are still vying for one of seven playoff spots in their respective conferences.

Four AFC teams and two NFC teams have already clinched a playoff berth, while 17 teams are either clinging onto their spot or desperately attempting to stave off mathematical elimination. Meanwhile, nine teams have already been eliminated from postseason contention, leaving them with nothing to play for except their jobs.

As the playoffs begin to take shape, another fascinating race is taking place at the bottom of the standings. The New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders have not had the season they hoped for, but their abysmal performances could be rewarded with the coveted No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Both teams are currently tied with a league-worst 2-11 record, and it's entirely possible that neither of them win another game this season.

Giants currently hold tiebreaker over Raiders for No. 1 overall pick

New York's strength of schedule (.541) is slightly weaker than Las Vegas' strength of schedule (.571), which would earn the Giants the top pick over the Raiders due to tiebreakers, per NFL.com.

When teams finish a season with identical records, draft position is determined by strength of schedule — the aggregate winning percentage of a team's opponents, per NFL Football Operations. The team that faced the schedule with the lowest winning percentage is deemed to have faced an easier path, and is therefore seen as the inferior team.

In the case of an identical strength of schedule, the league uses division and conference tiebreakers to determine the draft order. If those are not applicable or also result in a tie, the draft order is determined by the first item that does not result in a tie from the following list:

NFL Draft tiebreaker list

1. Head-to-head, if applicable
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games (minimum of four)
3. Strength of victory in all games
4. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed in all games
5. Best net points in all games
6. Best net touchdowns in all games
7. Coin toss

The last three weeks of the regular season could have significant ramifications on the draft order, particularly if the Raiders managed to pull out a victory against the reeling Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16.

Las Vegas will travel to face the New Orleans Saints for another winnable game in Week 17 before wrapping up at home against the Los Angeles Chargers, who could rest their starters if they're locked into a playoff spot by then.

The Giants are much less likely to win another game than Las Vegas. New York will struggle to find a win in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons, who are desperately attempting to climb back into the lead for the NFC South title.

In Week 17, the Giants will face the Indianapolis Colts, who is their easiest remaining opponent in Week 17. They'll close the season out against the Philadelphia Eagles in what could be a potential record-breaking revenge game for running back Saquon Barkley.