The New York Giants officially hold the 5th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Wins by the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders kept the Giants from falling to the 7th overall pick.
It took two years,
but the Giants finally won two consecutive games in a row. Last week they beat the Las Vegas Raiders 34-10, and this week they beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-17. The wins certainly feel good, and offer a promising glimpse of the future for the Giants’ offense, but there are definite draft implications.
The Giants would have controlled the No.1 overall pick if they lost the first game against the Raiders, and still would have controlled the No.2 overall pick with a chance* at the first overall pick with a loss against the Cowboys.
Instead, the Giants could have held any pick between 3rd and 6th overall, pending the outcome of the 4pm games.
The Giants’ win, and subsequent drop in the draft order, likely puts paid to dreams of ransoming a passer to a quarterback-needy team. There might still be opportunities for trades given the construction of the Giants’ defense and the caliber of EDGE defenders coming out this year. However, that won’t bring nearly the same haul as a big trade for a quarterback.
If the Giants can’t engineer a trade, sliding down the draft order may be in their favor. The top of the draft board might not present good value based on the Giants’ needs, or be stocked with players at crowded positions on the depth chart.
Updated 2026 NFL Draft order
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)
- New York Jets (3-14)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-14)
- Tennessee Titans (3-14)
- New York Giants (4-13)
- Cleveland Browns (5-12)
- Washington Commanders (5-12)
- New Orleans Saints (6-11)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)
- Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)
