The New York Giants currently hold the third-overall pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft following a Thursday Night Football matchup between the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. The Bears’ win over the Panthers moved Big Blue up the draft board.
Giants move to third overall in draft order
New York entered the week holding the fourth-overall pick, but Chicago’s win pushed them into third overall. The draft order is subject to significant changes between now and the end of the season, however, it seems highly likely that the Giants will find themselves with a top-three overall draft pick in April.
At 2-7, the only two teams ahead of the Giants are the Arizona Cardinals (1-8) at second overall and the Carolina Panthers (1-8) at first overall (whose pick is owned by the Bears).
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Was the Bears winning really the best thing for the Giants?
The Bears improved their record to 3-7 with their win over the Panthers last night. Meanwhile, the Panthers stumbled down to 1-8. While this did cause Big Blue to move up in the draft order, in the long run, this might not have been the best thing for New York.
With Cardinals QB Kyler Murray making his return to the lineup soon, Arizona is likely to earn a few wins down the stretch of the season. Chicago is also getting back QB Justin Fields next week, so the Bears have a chance to add some more wins to their record soon.
Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers are continuing to spiral out of control and this matchup with Chicago was easily their most winnable game remaining on the schedule. The likelihood of the Panthers winning two or more games down the stretch feels slim. But if Giants fans want to see their team hold the first-overall pick in the draft, they will need to hold out hope that the Panthers can add a few wins to their record.
The Bears’ win moved them back in the order and moved the Giants up in the order; however, the Giants will need fewer wins than the Panthers by season’s end to hold the illustrious top pick in the draft. Because of this, the Panthers’ loss on Thursday night was not the best thing for Big Blue.
It would have been more beneficial to the Giants in the long run for the Panthers to have added another win to their standings. Now, as the season crashes to a close, fans of Big Blue hoping to see their team secure the first-overall pick in the draft will want to be cheering on the Panthers for the remainder of the season. Carolina is the main team standing between the Giants and the first pick in next year’s draft.
