The 2019 NFL draft will be held April 25 to 27 in Nashville, Tennessee. Three teams -- the Arizona Cardinals, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers -- are the front-runners for the No. 1 pick by virtue of their three-win records.
Who will win the race for No. 1? Here's a closer look:
Arizona Cardinals
FPI chance to win remaining games: at Falcons, 10.9 percent; vs. Rams, 11.5 percent; at Seahawks, 7.7 percent
Draft capital: Seven picks, one in each round
Biggest need: Offensive line, cornerback and wide receiver. The order of importance changes depending on the day. But this much is certain: The Cardinals need help at offensive guard and could put themselves in a position to have long-term security at tackle with the right pick, but protecting quarterback Josh Rosen is a high priority. Arizona is also still looking for a cornerback opposite Patrick Peterson and a wide receiver who can either replace Larry Fitzgerald when he retires or be a big, tall complementary pass-catcher.
Trade the pick? The Cardinals have so many positions that need an upgrade, it could influence them to trade the No. 1 pick. They could move from No. 1 to fourth or fifth and still fill a need while stockpiling picks through the 2019 draft and beyond. That would help bolster a young, thin roster while letting coach Steve Wilks build a team with the type of player he wants. Since this draft isn’t as well-stocked with quarterbacks as in recent years, the value of the No. 1 pick has been diminished. However, Arizona still would be able to get enough in return to make trading out of the top spot worth it. -- Josh Weinfuss
Oakland Raiders
FPI chance to win remaining games: at Bengals, 31.7 percent; vs. Broncos, 38.3 percent; at Chiefs, 7.5 percent
Draft capital: 10 picks -- three in Round 1, one each in Rounds 2-6, two in Round 7
Biggest need: Don’t laugh or even roll your eyes. But as coach Jon Gruden said -- after trading away Khalil Mack -- it’s hard to find an elite pass-rusher. Indeed. Even after getting Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger once on Sunday, the Raiders were still last in the league with 11 sacks in 13 games, or 11 fewer than the team with the second-fewest sacks in the NFL. Paging Nick Bosa, Clelin Ferrell & Co.
Trade the pick? With so much draft capital -- three first-round picks courtesy of trading Mack to the Bears and Amari Cooper to the Cowboys -- you’d think the Raiders might consider trading down to pick up more selections. Except … they are in full rebuild and not only need the picks but also need to hit on Every. Single. One. As it stands now, the Raiders would have a top-three selection -- their own -- but if they go on a little run here and win some games to knock their first pick closer to No. 10 (the ones they acquired from the Bears and Cowboys are in the mid-20s), then a trade back up into the first few picks might not be out of the question. -- Paul Gutierrez
San Francisco 49ers
FPI chance to win remaining games: vs. Seahawks, 34.9 percent; vs. Bears, 35.3 percent; at Rams, 10.6 percent
Draft capital: Five picks -- one each in Rounds 1-4, one in Round 6
Biggest need: A dominant edge rusher. Coach Kyle Shanahan has said quarterback and edge rusher are the two positions that can most change a team’s fortunes. The Niners have their quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo; now they need to complete the other half of the equation. San Francisco hasn’t had a dominant outside rusher since Aldon Smith. If the Niners can get one now, it would help them close out some of the close games they continue to lose, free up defensive tackle DeForest Buckner to wreak havoc inside and could take their defense to the next level.
Trade the pick? The 49ers have enough needs that a huge trade offer would be difficult to turn down, but unless it’s something crazy, they should stay put if they have the No. 1 overall pick. This is a team in need of superstars, and with someone such as Ohio State pass-rusher Nick Bosa looking like he stands above the rest of the prospects, the Niners could have an obvious fit. Two years ago, the Niners won a meaningless Christmas Eve game against the Rams that cost them the No. 1 pick and a shot at Myles Garrett. If they actually have the pick this time, there should be little debate about how to spend it. -- Nick Wagoner