From one draft to another

Kansas City's rookies didn't save the season, but a higher pick could help.

The 2025 NFL season has been a very odd season, and this week was no different. The Chiefs, starting their third-string QB and their fourth- and fifth-string offensive tackles, took the likely one seed in the AFC (and likely the best record overall) to the mat. The game was tied at 13-13 until the Broncos scored a touchdown with 1:45 to go in the fourth quarter. Oladokun and the Chiefs’ offense were unable to respond, and the Chiefs lost, 20-13.

I wrote last week a bit about the Chiefs’ likely draft pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft. Part of that article touched on the idea of tanking. Should a team that is out of playoff contention actively try to lose games to better their draft slot? This does seem to have been something the Raiders did prior to their game against the Giants, in the Battle for the First Overall Pick. They put star TE Brock Bowers on IR and announced that DE Maxx Crosby would not be playing leading up to the game.

It worked for the Raiders, as they lost 34-10, and likely secured the No. 1 overall pick. They play the Chiefs this week in Las Vegas. Regardless of if they win or lose vs the Chiefs, they will still likely end up with that pick. There are scenarios where they could lose it to the Giants still, but they will likely know if this game matters prior to playing the Chiefs. That means they could actually try to win it.