2020 NFL Draft order: Oakland Raiders closing in on playoffs, top 10 pick

The Oakland Raiders are closing in on a playoff berth as well as a top 10 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft thanks to the Chicago Bears.

The Oakland Raiders are one of the most surprising developments of the 2019 NFL season, and they’re also in phenomenal position for the 2020 NFL Draft, thanks to the Chicago Bears.

The Kansas City Chiefs snuck a seven-point win against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football in Mexico City, much to the chagrin of Raider Nation which was on the cusp of first place in the AFC West as of Monday night.

The Raiders are still in pretty good position in the AFC West with six games remaining on their schedule, and they can make up necessary ground this week and move into a tie for the best record in the AFC West with the Chiefs with a win on Sunday on the road against the suddenly-hot New York Jets, who have won two in a row.

Despite the fact that the Jets are riding a two-game winning streak thanks to playing two of the three worst teams in the NFL right now (Giants, Redskins), this is a game the Raiders should win based on the way we’ve seen them play lately, and it’s a ‘gimme’ on the schedule that a playoff-caliber team needs to win.

The Raiders already helped their own cause in the 2020 NFL Draft by beating the Chicago Bears a few weeks back, but the Bears’ loss this past weekend put the Raiders back into the top 15 and well within range of a top 10 pick in the updated 2020 NFL Draft order.

Let’s take a look at how things currently stand (changes in top 10 picks in bold).

1. Cincinnati Bengals (0-10)
2. Washington Redskins (1-9)
3. New York Giants (2-8)
4. Miami Dolphins (2-8)
5. New York Jets (3-7)
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-7)
7. Denver Broncos (3-7)
8. Atlanta Falcons (3-7)
9. Arizona Cardinals (3-7-1)
10. Detroit Lions (3-6-1)
11. Los Angeles Chargers (4-7)
12. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6)
13. Cleveland Browns (4-6)
14. Oakland Raiders // from Bears (4-6)
15. Philadelphia Eagles (5-5)
16. Miami Dolphins // from Steelers (5-5)
17. Tennessee Titans (5-5)
18. Carolina Panthers (5-5)
19. Oakland Raiders (6-4)
20. Jacksonville Jaguars // from Rams (6-4)
21. Dallas Cowboys (6-4)
22. Indianapolis Colts (6-4)
23. Miami Dolphins // from Texans (6-4)
24. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)
25. Buffalo Bills (7-3)
26. Minnesota Vikings (8-3)
27. Green Bay Packers (8-2)
28. Seattle Seahawks (8-2)
29. Baltimore Ravens (8-2)
30. New Orleans Saints (8-2)
31. New England Patriots (9-1)
32. San Francisco 49ers (9-1)

Despite the fact that the Miami Dolphins lost this past weekend, along with a New York Jets victory, things in the top five remained steady from a week ago.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers jumped up from the 8th pick to the 6th pick, and the Denver Broncos moved from the 9th overall pick to the 7th overall pick. The Atlanta Falcons’ victory over the Carolina Panthers bumped them down from 6th overall to 8th overall, and the Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions each moved up one slot.

With a month-and-a-half left of the 2019 season, there’s sure to be plenty of intrigue at the top of the draft order with so many teams separated by just a game or two.

For now, the Oakland Raiders look like the biggest winners of the 2019 season in terms of both being competitive and their 2020 NFL Draft capital. We’ll see if they can finish and make some noise come January.