The New York Giants seem to spit in the face of tanking every year. In 2023, the team was stuck with third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito after injuries took out Daniel Jones and Drew Lock mid-year. The Giants seemed to be in prime position to lose out and secure at least a top three pick in the NFL Draft, but DeVito ignited his own legend by rattling off three consecutive victories. In 2024, New York entered Week 17 with the No. 1 pick and just needed to lose two games to secure it. But, nope, the Giants defeated the Indianapolis Colts that week and ended up with the No. 3 selection instead.
Entering Week 17 on Sunday, New York (again) held the No. 1 pick at 2-13 and if it lost to the Las Vegas Raiders (also 2-13), it would secure the top pick for the first time since 1965. Well, once again, the Giants put pride ahead of strategy and defeated the Raiders 27-10 on the road. It's now extremely unlikely the two franchises will flip again in the draft order after Week 18. But what if the Giants haven't doomed themselves like everyone thinks? They might actually still be in the best position available.
Why the Giants don't need to the No. 1 pick to continue rebuilding
Any team can benefit from owning the No. 1 pick in the draft. If they don't want to pick a quarterback (who typically goes No. 1 overall anyway) they can always trade that selection to the highest QB-needy bidder. We've seen those hauls produce some gems in the past.
New York doesn't need a QB this offseason. Rookie Jaxson Dart proved he can provide a spark to what has previously been a sluggish Giants offense, especially when fellow rookie Cam Skattebo is in the backfield and 2024 first-round pick Malik Nabers is lined up on the outside. New York wouldn't have picked Indiana QB and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza first overall regardless.
And just look back at how New York got those three players anyway. Nabers was the No. 6 pick in 2024 (yes, DeVito did cost them the chance to select Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels) and Dart was taken at No. 25 this past April after the team traded back into the first round and already took pass rusher Abdul Carter third overall. We all know Skattebo was a fourth round gem too.
So, the only thing New York misses out on by beating Las Vegas is the ability to trade out of the No. 1 pick for a pirate's haul of draft picks and potential assets. The Raiders will certainly want out of the Geno Smith experiment and select Mendoza. But the Giants can still make out like bandits.
The No. 2 pick (or No. 3 pick if the Jets move up in Week 18) will be just as valuable on the trade block if Oregon QB Dante Moore decides to leave college early. There are plenty of other passer-needy teams that would pay a pretty penny to move ahead to secure his rights. And even if nobody is willing to pay general manager Joe Schoen's asking price (that's if he's still GM in April), New York can still take the best available non-QB on the board.
Who that's going to be is still a big question mark, but glancing at ESPN expert Mel Kiper's most recent big board, Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese or Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa should be high on Schoen's list.
So enjoy the win, Giants fans. It could be a taste of the future, or perhaps something to savor until the franchise finally turns the corner. But you can still look forward to April with anticipation and confidence the team is in decent position to improve one way or another.