NFL Tankathon: How Will Week 17 Odds and Results Affect 2026 NFL Draft Order?
With an unprecedented amount of bad teams in the NFL this year, there's a strong chance your team could be in the mix for a top-five pick. Let's explore how the NFL Week 17 odds will affect your squads chances at the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2026 as we finish up the last few regular season games in this Tankathon race.
Jack Borovitz - December 28, 2025, 2:30 PM EST
5 minNFL Tankathon: How Will Week 17 Odds and Results Affect 2026 NFL Draft Order?
There are just two games left in the NFL regular season, and while some teams are scrapping in the playoff race, there is an entire sect of the league doing their best not to win another game. Welcome back to the NFL Tankathon, where the worst teams in the league duke it out to see who the biggest loser is.
There are several important matchups in Week 17 that could rearrange the 2026 NFL Draft order depending on their results. The Raiders will host the Giants with a chance to essentially lock up the No. 1 pick with a loss for either team, while the Browns and Jets fight for the No. 3 spot over in the North East. Let's take a look at each team's chances and how they'll shift as they fight for top five draft picks.
NFL Tankathon: Draft Order if Season Ended Today
- New York Giants (2-13)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-13)
- Cleveland Browns (3-12)
- New York Jets (3-12)
- Tennessee Titans (3-12)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-12)
- Washington Commanders (4-12)
- New Orleans Saints (5-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)
Click here for the latest NFL Week 17 Odds
NFL Tankathon: Week 17 Odds
No. 1 Giants vs. No. 2 Raiders (+3)
The game of the year for draft position. Two 2-13 teams, nine-game losing streaks, and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft hanging in the balance.
The Giants currently hold the tiebreaker for the top spot due to strength of schedule, but that advantage evaporates with a win in Vegas. New York has been historically bad, going 0-8 at home and failing to find the end zone in their last game against Minnesota. They managed just 13 net passing yards against the Vikings, and rookie QB Jaxson Dart has looked shaky since returning from his concussion.
The Raiders aren't much better. They've dropped nine straight and sit at 2-13, but rookie RB Ashton Jeanty finally showed flashes of his draft pedigree last week with 128 rushing yards and a 60-yard receiving touchdown against Houston. The problem? Las Vegas just shut down Maxx Crosby and placed Brock Bowers on IR. Both sides are clearly waving the white flag.
The Giants are favored by 3 points on the road, which might be the first time in NFL history a 2-13 team has been favored anywhere. The total sits at 40.5, and this one has "stay away" written all over it. But for draft positioning, this is everything. The loser controls their own destiny for the No. 1 pick heading into Week 18, with Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza currently favored to go first overall.
No. 5 Titans (+9.5) vs. No. 5 Saints
Tennessee finally found some life, beating the Patrick Mahomes-less Chiefs 26-9 in Week 16. That was their second win in three games after looking like one of, if not the worst team in football for most of the season. Cam Ward has multiple touchdown passes in three straight games, and the Titans are suddenly playing competitive football.
New Orleans is riding a three-game winning streak behind rookie QB Tyler Shough, who has emerged as a legitimate contender to start in 2026. The Saints demolished the Jets 29-6 last week, with Chris Olave posting 10 catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns on 16 targets. The offense is humming, and Shough's development has killed their tank hopes.
The Saints are still favored by 9.5 points on the road in Nashville. Tennessee is 7-8 against the spread, while New Orleans is 7-8 ATS as well. The total is 40.5, the lowest of any Week 17 game. Both teams have shown recent signs of life, which is terrible news for their draft stock. A Titans win here would likely drop them out of the top-three, while a Saints loss could push them securely into top-five territory.
No. 3 Browns (+3.5) vs. Steelers
Cleveland sits at 3-12 after a competitive 23-20 loss to Buffalo in Week 16, where they failed to cover as 10.5-point home underdogs. The Browns are clocking in at the No. 4 spot in the draft order and desperately need a loss here.
The Steelers are 9-6 and fighting for AFC North positioning, having missed out on clinching with a Baltimore win over Green Bay last night. Pittsburgh is coming off a win over Detroit where Jaylen Warren ripped off two 45-yard touchdown runs in the fourth quarter.
The Steelers are favored by 3.5 points on the road, with a total of 32.5. Cleveland is 6-9 against the spread this season and has been competitive at home (5-2 ATS). Myles Garrett is chasing the NFL single-season sack record with 22 sacks, and the Steelers will have fourth-string LT Dylan Cook trying to slow him down.
For the Browns, this is crucial. A loss keeps them in the top-four, and competitive for a top 3 pick. They need help and they need to lose, which should be easy against a Steelers team that still has playoff seeding to play for.
Other NFL Draft Tankers: Jets, Panthers
The New York Jets hold the No. 4 spot at 3-12 and face the dynastic New England Patriots, who are 12-3 and have already clinched a playoff spot. The Jets are massive 13.5-point home underdogs, so this should be an easy loss to maintain their top-five positioning.
The Carolina Panthers are 8-7 and technically still alive in the playoff race, but they're massive 7-point home underdogs to the 12-3 Seattle Seahawks. The Panthers have been scrappy at home this season (5-1 ATS as home underdogs), but a loss here would help their 2026 draft positioning if the playoff dream officially dies.
The draft order reshuffles every week with upsets galore this season, and with the Giants-Raiders showdown determining pole position, Week 17 is must-watch television for fans of losing football. Tune in to see who can lose their way to the top.
