It feels like this article has become an annual tradition since the Las Vegas Raiders continue to churn through head coaches, firing Pete Carroll at the end of the season. But here we are, with the Raiders on the head coach search
again. So, let’s rank how Las Vegas stacks up against the other eight openings around the NFL, factoring in the quarterback situation, 2026 NFL draft picks, salary cap space and roster.Draft picks are via Tankathon and salary cap information is via Over The Cap.
1. Baltimore Ravens
QB: Lamar
Jackson
Top 100 Draft Picks: 14, 45, 80
Salary Cap: $21.2 million (18th in NFL)
There shouldn’t be any debate when it comes to the top opening this offseason. The Ravens have a playoff-caliber roster, a two-time MVP at quarterback and are a stable organization. It just seems like John Harbaugh’s message grew stale in the locker room, on top of his refusal to fire offensive coordinator Todd Monken, are the only reasons why Harbaugh got the boot. Baltimore should have its pick of the litter when it comes to head coach candidates.
2. Atlanta Falcons
QB: Michael Penix Jr.
Top 100 Draft Picks: 48, 79
Salary Cap: $22.5 million (17th)
To be fair, the Falcons’ attractiveness will depend on how candidates view Penix. Even before suffering another season-ending injury, the second-year pro was having a tough season. However, he showed promise at the end of the 2024 campaign and was a top 10 draft pick. Also, Atlanta has a pretty good roster, headlined by Bijan Robinson on offense and several promising young players on defense, and plays in a weak division to make the path to the playoffs easier.
3. Las Vegas Raiders
QB: No. 1 pick
Top 100 Draft Picks: 1, 36, 67
Salary Cap: $89.0 million (3rd)
The Raiders will have to give candidates plenty of assurance that they’ll be patient via a long and lucrative contract offer, seeing as their last three head coaches (Josh McDaniels, Antonio Pierce and Carroll) didn’t even get two full seasons on the job. Also, the organization is facing a multi-year rebuild. But the latter could be attractive considering the next coach will have a chance to mold the roster in his vision, especially if someone likes what they’ve seen from Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza. Plus, in addition to the assets above, Las Vegas has three fourth-round picks to help guide the turnaround.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
QB: Good question
Top 100 Draft Picks: 21, 53, 76 (from DAL), 85, 99 (comp.)
Salary Cap: $39.0 million (10th)
If the Steelers had a clear path to get a quarterback, they’d be ahead of the Raiders without a question. It’s a stable organization that literally does not fire head coaches. Also, they have a lot of draft capital with 12 picks and a good amount of cash to use in free agency. But people in Pittsburgh know all of that won’t matter if the organization can’t figure out the most important position on the field. Additionally, this is an aging roster that might need to be torn down.
5. Tennessee Titans
QB: Cam Ward
Top 100 Draft Picks: 4, 35, 66
Salary Cap: $96.7 million (2nd)
Ward had his fair share of rookie struggles, but he also had several moments that showed why he was the No. 1 overall pick last year. Any coach who liked the Miami product coming out of college should be interested in this job. Plus, general manager Mike Borgonzi has an impressive resume with three Super Bowls while working in the Kansas City Chiefs’ front office, and Borgonzi has plenty of money to spend to improve the roster.
6. New York Giants
QB: Jaxson Dart
Top 100 Draft Picks: 5, 37
Salary Cap: $5.2 million (20th)
If the conversation was just Dart versus Ward, I can see the argument for the Giants to be ahead of the Titans since the former was better this season. But can or should any coach trust Joe Schoen to build out the rest of the roster? I could see this being a situation similar to what the Jacksonville Jaguars faced last year, or where the coach the Giants hire wants a new general manager next year, a la Jon Gruden and Reggie McKenzie.
[Editor’s note: The Giants hired John Harbaugh as their next head coach on Wednesday night.]
7. Arizona Cardinals
QB: No. 3 pick
Top 100 Draft Picks: 3, 34, 65
Salary Cap: $27.1 million (15th)
With a stronger quarterback class, the Cardinals would rank significantly higher. However, with Mendoza likely heading to Las Vegas, Dante Moore going back to Oregon and Ty Simpson falling off in the second half of the season, the outlook is bleak for Arizona. The team does have a good roster with a lot of young talent, but that isn’t going to matter much without an answer behind center, especially in the tough NFC West. Also, the Cardinals are going to have to eat into their cap space to move on from Kyler Murry, whose contract carries about $47.5 million of dead cap with a post-June 1 cut.
8. Cleveland Browns
QB: Shedeur Sanders or Deshaun Watson
Top 100 Draft Picks: 6, 24 (via JAX), 39, 70
Salary Cap: -$15.3 million (27th)
Cleveland does have a pair of first-round picks and a good rookie class, led by DROY favorite Carson Schwesinger. However, its quarterback situation is ugly. Sanders fell to the fifth round of the draft because the league wasn’t that high on him, and the Browns have been trying to move on from Watson for a couple of years now. Combine that with negative cap space to begin the offseason and an owner who is widely considered one of the worst in the league, this might be a hard sell for prospective head coaches. Maybe they can find a defensive guy who wants work with Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, Mason Graham and Schwesinger.
9. Miami Dolphins
QB: Quinn Ewers
Top 100 Draft Picks: 11, 43, 75, 87 (via PHI), 90 (via HOU)
Salary Cap: -$24.4 million (29th)
The Dolphins are already projected to begin the offseason with negative cap space, and that’s before moving on from Tua Tagovailoa, who carries a $67.4 million dead cap hit with a post-June 1 cut. Meanwhile, it’s hard to see candidates fighting over working with a 2025 seventh-round pick at quarterback. Miami does have a good amount of premium draft picks to work with, but this situation feels like it’s going to take several years to turn around.
