The 2015 NFL Draft first pick goes to… the Oakland Raiders or Jacksonville Jaguars. With equal shots at the crown, who has the upper hand and will some NFL tanking come into play? Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.
TODD:
At 1-10, both the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars are in prime position to secure the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Sure, the Buccaneers and New York teams and some others have outside shots at the prestigious first pick, but this is going to come down to the Raiders and Jags.
However, both have sneakily winnable games in week 13. The Raiders are playing St. Louis, a team seemingly capable of playing up to (or down to) any and all opponents. If it’s possible for a 4-7 team to have a letdown game, this could be it for the Rams, coming off of good showings in at least half a dozen games these past few months.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville is hosting the New York Giants, a team proficient in looking like the worst team in the NFL any given Sunday.
At this point, the top pick in the draft is going to come down to a quarterback or a pass rusher. Oregon’s Marcus Mariota is the frontrunner at the quarterback position; there are a couple of pass rushers who could possibly be taken first, including USC’s Leonard Williams and Nebraska’s Randy Gregory.
The interesting thing here is both Oakland and Jax just drafted rookie QBs to build their franchise around. Between Blake Bortles and Derek Carr, neither has looked great. Could either team conceivably give up on their respective guy already for Mariota?
Otherwise, the Raiders have been much poorer at sacking opposing quarterbacks than the Jaguars. Yet the fact that there are multiple defensive ends possible at the top means nabbing the literal first pick isn’t as necessary.
More from Jacksonville Jaguars
- 3 players the Jacksonville Jaguars gave up on way too soon
- 2023 NFL Season: Predicting the passing touchdown leaders
- Jacksonville Jaguars extend breakout tight end Evan Engram
- 2023 NFL Predictions: Every Divisional Winner for the 2023 Season
- Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Trevor Lawrence another intriguing weapon
DAN:
The idea of tanking comes up in the NBA all too often, but is it a new reality for the NFL as well? Don’t kid yourself, both Jacksonville and Oakland want that number one pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. They can trade it for a draft haul, or add Marcus Mariota. He’s the prize of 2015.
I believe the Buccaneers and New York Jets/Giants have too much dignity and power to lose enough games for top pick. The competition is between Oakland and Jacksonville, with the schedule of games vaulting the Oakland Raiders into the lead.
Raiders play: St. Louis, San Francisco, Kansas City, Buffalo, and Denver
Jaguars play: Giants, Texans, Ravens, Titans, and Texans
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been bad, but they will beat the Texans in one of two. That second victory will be the nail in the coffin for the Jaguars’ top pick hopes. I do not believe the Raiders are winning another game this season. St. Louis will not fall victim to the ‘trap’ game and then the gauntlet of playoff teams begins.
If the 2015 NFL Draft top pick is the Raiders to lose, then I’d love to see them go pass rusher instead of quarterback. However, I believe they select Mariota. I love what I’ve seen from Derek Carr, but he’s still going to get some competition. With a new coach coming to the Raiders next season, most likely, Oakland won’t resist making another first pick ‘splash.’
How about these hashtags supporting tanking for the Jaguars and Raiders? Both teams need that top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, so these are for the diehard fans. #JagsTank or #TankTheRaiders