Giants and the No. 1 pick in draft: What happens if they win another game this season?
Top draft prospects Cam Ward of Miami and Shedeur Sanders of Colorado. Credit: AP
Adoree’ Jackson was honest after the Giants’ loss to the Falcons last week. These last two games are as much about next season as finishing strong.
“You can’t go back in the past. You can’t really look too far in the future. You just got to be in the present,” he said. “Obviously, it’s about next season, but you’re trying to set yourself up to get in that offseason, right?”
Jackson was referring to being a free agent after the season, but it applies to the Giants, too. They are in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall draft pick and a chance to fix their quarterback issues by drafting Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward.
If the Giants (2-13) lose to the Colts and Eagles, they will lock up the top pick. However, there are scenarios in which a Giants win would make that tougher, especially with their high strength of schedule (.542), according to NFL.com.
“I’d say we are laser-focused on what we need to do to get ready to play this week,” coach Brian Daboll said about not watching other teams.
Sunday could be the Giants’ best chance to snap their 10-game losing streak. They will face a Colts team ranked 29th in total defense. Quarterback Anthony Richardson didn’t practice Thursday, casting some doubt on his availability.
The finale at Philadelphia is interesting because the Eagles could rest starters even if former Giant Saquon Barkley (1,838 rushing yards) is close to Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105.
A split of their two games could hurt their chances of getting the No. 1 pick, but they still could draft one of the top two quarterbacks. Even if they fall to No. 2 or No. 3, they might be behind a team that already has a quarterback in play.
Let’s assess the three-win teams behind them:
Patriots 3-12
(vs. Chargers, vs. Bills)
After hosting Los Angeles on Saturday, they will host Buffalo in the season finale, a team they just battled to a 24-21 loss last week. With a lower strength of schedule (.431) than the Giants, the Patriots hold the tiebreaker edge.
The good news for the Giants: The Patriots don’t need a quarterback after drafting Drake Maye last year. So the Giants still could get their dream quarterback at No. 2 even if the Patriots move up to No. 1.
Jaguars 3-12
(vs Titans, at Colts)
The Jaguars also hold a tiebreaker edge over the Giants because of a lower strength of schedule (.502). Keep an eye on the Titans-Jaguars matchup Sunday, as the winner is out of the race for the No. 1 overall pick.
The Jaguars also don’t need a quarterback after signing Trevor Lawrence to an extension last summer. So count them out in terms of stealing a quarterback if they draft higher than the Giants.
Browns 3-12
(vs. Dolphins, at Ravens)
Cleveland is another team with a lower strength of schedule (.524) that doesn’t need a quarterback. With the Browns still owing Deshaun Watson a lot of guaranteed money, they can’t cut him. That means they’re likely to draft a player at another position with their first pick, which suits the Giants well.
The Browns, starting third-stringer Dorian Thomas-Robinson, will face two teams trying to help their playoff chances, so they’ll be underdogs.
Titans 3-12
(at Jaguars, vs. Texans)
Second-year quarterback Will Levis was benched for Mason Rudolph. If the Titans keep losing, perhaps they will try to draft Levis’ replacement.
But the Titans, who also own a strength-of-schedule tiebreaker (.529) over the Giants, could win their next two games. The Texans have locked up the No. 4 seed and could rest starters in that finale. In short, Giants fans should root for Titans victories the next two weeks.
Raiders 3-12
(at Saints, vs. Chargers)
The Raiders’ win Sunday moved them back to sixth in the potential draft order because of their high strength of schedule (.551). It also foreshadows the Giants’ fate if they win Sunday and multiple three-win teams lose.
The Raiders do need a quarterback, but the Giants hold the tiebreaker edge with strength of schedule.
So in conclusion, Giants fans thinking about the future need to root for a defeat but also for the teams behind them to win. A Giants win certainly would hurt their chances for the No. 1 pick, but even if they’re tied with another team, they still could find a way to get their quarterback.
As Jackson said, most of the Giants’ actions now are about next season. It’s tough, but when the present is bleak, hope for the future is the best motivation.
Notes & quotes: Malik Nabers (toe) said he will be a game-day decision Sunday after not practicing Thursday. He hopes to practice Friday but “it all depends on how [my toe] feels.” . . . RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. (ankle), LB Micah McFadden (neck), C John Michael Schmitz (ankle), DT Cory Durden (shoulder) and DBs Raheem Layne (knee) and Greg Stroman (shoulder/shin) also didn’t practice. Schmitz, who has started every game, left practice in a walking boot. Daboll said Greg Van Roten took first-team reps at center Thursday.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
More Giants
