In a tiring display of football on Sunday, the Raiders hurt their chances of getting the No. 1 pick in the next NFL draft by defeating another bad Jaguars team 19-14 in Las Vegas.

Across the country, the Giants – who were committed to recruiting their favorite player from a college class that received lukewarm reviews – placed themselves alone at the top of the draft order by allowing the Falcons to take 34th to score consecutive points.

The Raiders (3-12) fell one game behind the Giants (2-13) and into a tie with four other teams in the draft queue because they had the audacity to end a 10-game losing streak.

The Giants need a franchise quarterback, a reality that Drew Lock reinforced by throwing two passes that the Falcons returned for touchdowns.

Despite cutting the current roster, Giants general manager Brandon Beane secured a lifetime job in the NFL by signing Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen to the Bills, seventh overall, in 2018.

The Raiders also need a franchise QB – unless the NFL allows Aidan O’Connell to play in every game against the Jaguars

The draft-eligible quarterback receiving the most media praise is Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.

The 23-year-old senior led the Buffaloes to a 9-3 record this season and ranked first in the Big 12 Conference in completion percentage (74.2), touchdown passes (35) and passing yards per game (327.2). Sanders rushed for four touchdowns and proved elusive in the pocket. Standing 6’3″ tall and weighing 220 pounds, he has started 49 college games, including 26 at Jackson State.

Sanders’ ability to read defenses is undoubtedly influenced by the QB’s father and current head coach, Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders.

There’s a greater diversity of opinion on Shedeur Sanders than is typical for a prospect who might be ranked No. 1 overall.

ESPN’s Mel Kiper and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler are veteran draft analysts who speak with several NFL scouts and personnel executives.

While Kiper lists Sanders as his top QB prospect and No. 3 player overall, Brugler ranks Sanders as his third QB prospect and 23rd player overall.

For now, Brugler prefers Miami’s Cam Ward and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe over Sanders. He isn’t excited about any of the QBs and doesn’t rank any of them among his top 15 candidates.

Brugler, Kiper and their NFL sources agree that Colorado receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter is the NFL’s top prospect.

If Sunday’s win against the Jaguars cost the Raiders the quarterback they wanted, maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing given their history.

The Raiders drafted four QBs in the first round, never landed a star and often suffered headaches.

Roman Gabriel, whom they selected first in the 1962 AFL draft, chose to go to the NFL’s Rams, making his selection a blank selection for the Raiders.

JaMarcus Russell never came close to rewarding Al Davis for picking him first overall in 2007, and neither did Todd Marinovich after going 24th in 1991.

Marc Wilson had the best result of the four. The Raiders posted a 32-28 record in his starts after selecting him 15th overall in 1980.

No more hope?

The Jaguars can confirm that the No. 1 draft pick is not a guarantee of Super Bowl contention or anything like that.

Their worst NFL record in 2020 allowed them to sign Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence the following spring. The draftniks all agreed he would be better than average. Some projected him as a star.

In Lawrence’s rookie year, which was marked by rookie head coach Urban Meyer’s reign of errors on and off the field, the Jaguars once again posted the worst record in the league.

They used the top pick on Travon Walker, a defensive lineman from Georgia.

Lawrence and Walker didn’t reach their draft slots, but they didn’t flop either. They just haven’t been able to pull the long-inept Jags out of the mud. Jacksonville has lost about two of three games in nearly five seasons and ranks 28th in the NFL with a .364 winning percentage since Lawrence was hired.

San Diegans who still care about the Chargers might be encouraged to learn who built most of these five Jaguars teams.

He’s Trent Baalke. He won a power struggle with current Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh when he was general manager and head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, respectively.

It looks like the 49ers owners picked the wrong football alpha.

Originally published: December 22, 2024 at 6:53 pm PST