Sunday’s matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Giants carries enormous 2026 NFL Draft implications. When two 2–13 teams collide, the math is simple: the loser controls the path to the No. 1 overall pick. For fans and analysts, it’s the kind of game that invites tank-watch discourse, mock drafts, and long-term roster theorizing. For the players? It’s just another game. Maxx Crosby made that crystal clear.
“Yeah, I don’t give a sh– about the pick, to be honest,” Crosby said Tuesday. “I don’t play for that. That’s not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world.”
The Divide Between Fans and Players
Fans are allowed to think long-term. They invest time, money, and emotional capital into a franchise and are justified if they choose in rooting for what they believe is best for the organization’s future.
Front offices and coaching staffs? Same thing. Draft position, asset management, and long-term planning are literally their jobs. But players live in a different reality.
They play a sport where careers can end on a single snap. Where bodies are pushed to limits most people can’t fathom, and where every rep is an audition whether for the current team or the next one. They don’t tank. They compete.
“That’s Got Nothing to Do With Me”
Crosby understands that separation better than most. “That’s their job,” Crosby said, “That’s the front office, the coaches, they do that. That’s got nothing to do with me.
I’ve learned my lesson in the past. You can’t control everything. That’s not my job description. My job is to be the best in the world at what I do. And that’s wrecking the game.”
This is exactly why Crosby is the heartbeat of the Raiders. Leadership, accountability, and an uncompromising standard regardless of circumstances.
Draft Position Guarantees Nothing
There’s also a harsh truth embedded in Crosby’s mindset: the No. 1 pick guarantees nothing. Raiders fans know this better than most. The only time the franchise held the No. 1 overall pick in the modern draft era, they selected JaMarcus Russell a decision that stands as one of the biggest busts in NFL history.
Draft capital is opportunity, not certainty. Culture, development, and leadership matter just as much often more.
Rare Futility, Real Stakes
Sunday’s game also enters obscure NFL history. It marks just the third matchup ever between two teams 11 or more games under .500:
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1991: 2–13 Buccaneers defeated 1–14 Colts (Week 17)
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1981: 1–14 Colts defeated 2–13 Patriots (Week 16)
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2025: 2–13 Raiders vs. 2–13 Giants
Ugly records. Real consequences. Zero incentive for players to lose. Maxx Crosby shouldn’t care about draft position. No player should. He plays for pride. For teammates, for his craft. For the next snap. Fans can argue about quarterbacks, mock drafts, and lottery odds. Crosby will do what he always does line up, fire off the edge, and try to ruin someone’s Sunday. That mindset, not draft order, is what franchises are built on.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
