The New York Giants still have a path to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft despite their costly win in Week 17. The Giants’ win over the Indianapolis Colts improved their record to 3-13, plummeting their projected draft pick out of the first-overall selection down to No. 4 in the order (per Tankathon). However, with one week left to play, the No. 1 pick is still in play for Big Blue.
The Giants could still land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft
The Giants now hold the fourth pick in the draft following their win in Week 17 and losses from the New England Patriots, the Tennessee Titans, and the Cleveland Browns. Those are the three teams currently picking ahead of the Giants, in that respective order. Depending on how things shake out in Week 18, though, the Giants could leapfrog all three of those teams and reclaim the No. 1 draft pick.
Week 18 vs. the Eagles is a must-lose for the Giants to earn the top pick
First and foremost, the Giants need to lose in Week 18 if they want to secure the first-overall pick. New York will be on the road to face the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon. Former Giants and current Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley is on the brink of setting the NFL’s single-season rushing yards record and will have the opportunity to accomplish that feat against his former team — if he plays.
The Eagles have clinched the NFC East and might not have anything left to play for in terms of playoff seeding next week. As a result, they could opt to rest their starters and play their backups in Week 18. This would make the game far more winnable for the G-Men, who just hung 45 points on the Colts. However, if picking first overall is the top priority, a loss is crucial. If the Giants win next week, they could plummet well outside of the top five picks in the draft order.
The Giants need help from several other bad teams
In addition to losing in Week 18, the Giants need a few other bad teams to win in order to move up the draft order. The New England Patriots would need to win over the Buffalo Bills, the Cleveland Browns would need to win over the Baltimore Ravens, and the Tennessee Titans would need to win over the Houston Texans.
All four of these teams will be underdogs in Week 18. They all have 3-13 records and they are all facing teams that have clinched playoff berths. However, that second factor could come in handy. With the Bills, Ravens, and Texans having all clinched, they could all rest their starters for the final regular season game of the season. This could pave the way for some upset, but albeit unlikely wins from the Patriots, Browns, and Titans.
The chances of landing the first-overall pick are slim for the New York Giants. However, with a hefty dosage of good luck, they could be back in the top position.
