The Giants are currently in a three-way tie for the worst record in the NFL at 2-12. However, they are currently slated to pick first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft because they have the tiebreaker for the top selection, their .536 strength of schedule (Tankathon).
Picking first overall would be a dream come true for many Giants fans, and it would feel like a reward for suffering through another abysmal season.
However, owning the first-overall pick by season’s end is anything but a guarantee for the Giants. With three games left to play, Big Blue is in danger of falling in the draft order with some winnable games left on the schedule.
The “Winnable” Remaining Games
Could the Giants upset the Vikings?
The Giants’ final three games are against teams with significant flaws.
This Sunday, the Giants are at home (where their only two wins this season have come) against the 6-8 Minnesota Vikings. Granted, the Vikings have been playing better recently, and they are coming off a win against the Cowboys last weekend, but they are still a beatable opponent.
The Vikings were officially eliminated from playoff contention in Week 15 after a 5–8 start and results elsewhere in the NFC. Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy’s season has been a rollercoaster, and his inconsistent play (20 interceptions lead the NFL) has cost Minnesota games this season. The Vikings will also be without star LT Christian Darrisaw.
Nevertheless, Minnesota will be favored in this matchup, as they are the better team. But the Giants demonstrated in their Week 15 loss against the Commanders that they are going to play tough until the clock strikes zero, and that mindset could propel them to an unlikely victory.
Giants vs Raiders Week 17: The Ultimate Tank Bowl
Like the Giants, the Raiders are also on an 8-game losing streak. They, too, are “competing” for the bottom.
In Week 17, two teams’ long-term health depends on failing in the short term.
If the Giants win the Week 17 matchup against the Raiders, they likely hand the Raiders the first-overall pick in the draft.
They would also subsequently hand the Raiders the right to draft Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, taking away the opportunity that the Giants once had to trade down for a king’s ransom from a quarterback-needy team behind them in the draft order.
Meanwhile, the Giants could fall as low as the No. 4 or No. 5 pick, potentially missing out on one of the few blue-chip prospects available in this year’s draft class.
If Giants fans are rooting for the No. 1 overall pick, this Week 17 matchup is a “must-lose” situation.
Divisional matchup to close the season
The Giants will be back at home to face the Cowboys in their season finale.
Dallas has won 9 consecutive games against the Giants (dating back to 2021), which means they should be looking at an easy win to close the season, but it could also mean that the Giants are due to finally get one over them (like they nearly did in Week 2).
Currently ranking 31st in the NFL in scoring defense (allowing 30.0 points per game) and 29th in total yards allowed, the Cowboys’ defense is vulnerable.
Dallas’s offense is also banged up. So, while a win is unlikely for the Giants, it’s not impossible.
The NFL Draft order is far from set in stone
It is also worth noting that the Giants do have the strength-of-schedule tie-breaker, but that could change, too.
Every time a team the Giants already played wins a game, the Giants’ SOS goes up. This makes their “tiebreaker” lead fragile.
The Giants have spent 2025 proving they are just talented enough to be dangerous, and just bad enough to need a savior. Over the next 21 days, the biggest threat to the New York Giants isn’t their opponents—it’s the risk of winning.
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