The New York Giants have yet again found themselves in a messy situation that was avoidable.
After losing nine straight, they were in contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. The coveted top selection is awarded to the team with the worst record. The Giants, at 2-13, were tied with the Las Vegas Raiders in that regard.
A Week 17 matchup in Las Vegas broke the tie. Despite the Giants having a 99.7% chance of receiving the first pick, it went to the Raiders after a 34-10 loss to New York. That result dropped the Giants down to a 20% chance of receiving the first pick.
For the Raiders this is just the second time in franchise history that they will have the first pick. In 2007 they went with quarterback JaMarcus Russell and this time they will likely draft Heisman winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
New York, on the other hand, hasn’t had the first overall pick since 1965. Since then they’ve had multiple top five picks, but never the first pick. The cards were in their hands, and all they had to do was drop another game to the Raiders.
Instead they won their third game and simultaneously dropped to the second pick. But this isn’t the first time they’ve done this.
Last season they took down the Indianapolis Colts in a meaningless late season game, giving them the third pick instead of what could’ve been the first. With this being the second consecutive season in which New York has lost out on the top selection, most would say this season is a complete failure.
But the Giants can recover from this mess if they make one of two key decisions. The first of which will be them drafting another wide receiver or defensive back with the second overall pick.
Either option will provide them with more talent and depth to an already young group. Selecting a wide receiver will be increasingly beneficial for the development of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, who rushed for two touchdowns against the Raiders.
Carnell Tate of Ohio State and USC’s Makai Lemon are among some of the top receivers expected to enroll in this year’s draft. Either player can help the Giants trend in the right direction.
This first option can backfire if the Giants draft a wide out that doesn’t pan out in the NFL. They’ve had this happen with Kadarius Toney, the speedster they drafted in 2021 out of Florida that lasted less than two seasons on the team.
The second route the Giants can take is trading down with a team willing to give up multiple of their picks. Cross-town rival New York Jets are an intriguing option because they are in search of a rookie quarterback and will have draft picks to give up.
Trading down can benefit the Giants since they can acquire more talent with the new draft picks, in addition to the ones they already have. The wide receiver room and secondary are two areas that need more talent that this incoming draft class can provide.
But until then, the Giants will take the field one last time against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18. The matchup doesn’t matter much to either team because both have already been eliminated from playoff contention.
However, this can be an opportunity for the Giants’ front office to assess their team and determine which selections they should make when the draft arrives in late April.
When that time comes around, it will be up to general manager Joe Schoen to make the right decision and lead the team in a positive direction. Positivity is something that the Giants haven’t received much of lately, but that can change on draft night.
