How Giants' NFL Draft positioning can improve in final week

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Don’t count the Giants out of being in position to draft a top quarterback prospect or game-breaking receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. just yet. 

With one game to go, the Giants (5-11) currently hold the No. 5 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and still are mathematically alive to land anywhere from No. 2 through No. 8, which would mean a sixth top-eight pick since 2018.

The Bears (via the Panthers) clinched No. 1. 

The Commanders (vs. the Cowboys), Patriots (vs. the Jets) and Cardinals (vs. the Seahawks) – who currently hold the No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 picks, respectively – all enter Week 18 with 4-12 records, so a victory by any combined with a Giants’ loss could shake up the top five.

Quarterbacks Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels have declared for the draft, while quarterback Caleb Williams and Harrison are expected to before the Jan. 15 deadline. 

The Giants’ loss could be the easy part of the equation considering that the Eagles will visit MetLife Stadium looking for an 18th win in the rivalry’s last 21 meetings.

The reeling Eagles went 1-4 in December but still beat the Giants during that span and can win the NFC East with the combination of a victory and a Cowboys’ loss to the Commanders — which makes it strange that head coach Nick Sirianni said “all options are on the table” when asked if he might sit some starters.

“We’re gonna do everything we can to win this game,” Sirianni said. “We can’t control the [Dallas-Washington] result, but we also have to get out of this rut we’re in.”

The first tiebreaker when determining draft order is strength of schedule – winning percentage of opponents – and the lower number is rewarded with the better draft pick.

Tankathon.com compiles strength of schedule based on all 17 opponents, but the numbers will change slightly based on Week 18 results.

The Giants (.511) have a weaker schedule than the Commanders (.515), Patriots (.518) and Cardinals (.562), as well as their fellow 5-11 teams in the Chargers (.526) and Titans (.529).

The Jets (.507) have a worse strength of schedule but already have six wins.

Of course, no one in the locker room wants to hear about fans excited by the prospect of losing.

Especially longtime Giants tired of being an Eagles’ punching bag.

“First, you have to understand, they’re professionals,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “So, everybody has a job to do in this league. You try to do it as good as you can do it, try to prepare, take a lot of pride in your work, put a lot of time into it. … We haven’t got the results that we want, but we certainly talk about competing and finishing and being good teammates.”

RT Tyre Phillips suffered a torn quad during the loss to the Rams that will require surgery, Daboll revealed.

All injuries vary based on degree, but Seahawks safety Jamal Adams needed a full year to return to games after suffering a torn quad in September 2022.

Matt Peart played 23 offensive snaps – his first since Oct. 8 – in place of Phillips, who already was filling in for the injured Evan Neal. Peart likely will start against the Eagles.

“I thought he did good for not having played for a while,” Daboll said. 

No injury update was offered on S Jason Pinnock, who was scheduled for an MRI on his foot.

PR Gunner Olszewski broke a basic unwritten NFL rule by catching the ball inside the eight-yard line late in the fourth quarter, but he returned it 94 yards for a touchdown.

What was Daboll’s reaction?

“That’s an ‘Attaboy!’” Daboll quipped.

Daboll credited offensive assistant/game manager Cade Knox and director of football data and innovation Ty Siam for their communication in helping him win two challenges on the Rams’ opening drive.

The two Ivy League graduates are also involved in time management and rules interpretation.

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