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NFL Draft order to be finalized on Friday with coin flip

By George Stockburger

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: A view of the coin toss prior to Super Bowl LII between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: A view of the coin toss prior to Super Bowl LII between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Raiders and 49ers fans will be keeping a close eye on the NFL Draft order this week

A coin flip on Friday, March 2 will be the tiebreaker between the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers to determine the final order of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports that the coin flip will be conducted at the NFL Combine on Friday to determine the owners of the ninth and tenth overall picks. The coin flip will also determine whether the New England Patriots receive the 41st or 43rd pick from San Francisco in exchange for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

A coin flip is the fourth and final method of breaking a tie for the NFL Draft order. Overall record, strength of schedule, record in common games versus division opponents, and record in common games versus conference opponents preludes the coin flip.

This will be the second-consecutive year when a coin flip will be used to break a tie between two teams to set the first round draft order. Last year the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts flipped for the 14th and 15th overall picks with the Vikings pick going to Philadelphia in the Sam Bradford trade. Philadelphia went on to select defensive end Derek Barnett, who recovered the fumble to seal Super Bowl 52, and the Colts took safety Malik Hooker.

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Oakland and San Francisco have very similar needs on the defensive side of the ball, making this coin flip incredibly important for their futures. Linebacker and cornerback are positions heavily connected to the two California franchises this offseason despite both teams drafting from those positions in the first round last year.

San Francisco drafted linebacker Reuben Foster out of Alabama, but injuries limited the high-flying star to 10 games. Foster also faces discipline for domestic assault charges levied this offseason.

Oakland drafted cornerback Gareon Conley from Ohio State, who also battled injuries and off the field questions. Conley appeared in just two games as a rookie with one pass deflection and five total tackles.

LInebackers Tremaine Edmunds and Roquan Smith are options for both teams, as is cornerback Denzel Ward from Ohio State. Both teams could use Smith as a natural WILL, while Edmunds is versatile enough to play across the field.

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft

Players are already reporting to Indianapolis for the NFL Combine and will measure in throughout the week.

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