The Giants win cost them the first overall pick
The New York Giants exploded on Sunday for a 45-33 win over the Indianapolis Colts. They got their third win of the year, snapping a 10-game losing streak and avoiding an 0-9 record at home. But in the process they also improved to 3-13 on the season and have lost control of the first overall pick.
After their win, the Giants now hold the third overall pick, per Tankathon, pending the outcome of the Cleveland Browns game against the Miami Dolphins. If the Browns lose that game, the Giants will fall another spot in the draft to fourth overall.
Current top 10
- New England Patriots (3-13 | .465)
- Tennessee Titans (3-13 | .509)
- New York Giants (3-13 | .551)
- Cleveland Browns (3-12 | .537)*
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12 | .472)
- New York Jets (4-12 | .496)
- Carolina Panthers (4-12 | .498)
- Las Vegas Raiders (4-12 | .546)
- Chicago Bears (4-12 | .553)
- New Orleans Saints (5-11 | .513)
The Giants upcoming rebuild has been complicated significantly by their win over the Colts. They had every option open to them with the first overall pick:
- Drafting quarterbacks Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders
- Drafting a position player like CB/WR Travis Hunter, CB Will Johnson, DT Mason Graham, or perhaps even OT Will Campbell or Kelvin Banks
- Trading back and accumulating picks and signing a veteran to start in 2025 while a rookie develops.
- They could even have perhaps banked on Sam Darnold or Justin Fields being a long-term answer themselves.
Now, however, the most likely outcome is that the Giants will finish 3-14 on the year and hold the fourth overall pick. In that scenario, the Patriots, Titans, and Browns would hold the top three picks in the draft.
It’s also been reported the Minnesota Vikings want to retain Darnold for (at least) another year. That would constrict the Giants’ options further still, and potentially force them to have to trade up for a quarterback. If Jalen Milroe returns to school, the Giants could be in competition with the Raiders, Titans, and Browns for the services of their preferred quarterback.
The 30,000-foot view of the Giants’ win over the Colts is that while it’s great for the players, the team might have cost themselves the ability to be consistently competitive until 2026 at least. The future has yet to be written, but every decision maker would always rather have more options than fewer.
