Not only did the Giants not lose on their bye week, they scored a big win.
Losers of seven straight games, the Giants moved into possession of the No. 1-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, according to Tankathon, by virtue of the Titans beating the Browns.
The Raiders matched the Giants and Titans with a 2-11 record after losing to the Broncos later Sunday.
The Giants hold the tiebreaker over the Raiders and Titans because they have played the weaker schedule.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen Bill Kostroun/New York Post
Giants opponents have a .538 winning percentage compared to the Raiders’ (.554) and the Titans’ (.573), per Tankathon.
The Browns, Saints, Commanders, Jets and Cardinals all are 3-10 and not far off the tanking pace.
The Giants have not picked first overall since 1965.
They drafted running back Saquon Barkley at No. 2 in 2018.
Last year, the Giants were in the driver’s seat atop the NFL draft until a Week 17 victory against the Colts.
They ended up slipping to No. 3 and selecting pass rusher Abdul Carter with quarterback Cam Ward out of reach — even after reportedly making trade offers to the Titans.
Titans QB Cam Ward celebrates after throwing a touchdown against the Browns on Dec. 7, 2025. AP
It would be interesting if the Giants end up with the No. 1 pick because Jaxson Dart is in place as the franchise quarterback, so the general manager can hold a bidding war for teams that might be eyeing Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza — including the Jets.
But the Giants’ schedule eases up after the bye, with games against the Commanders, Vikings, Raiders and Cowboys ahead.
Dart isn’t going to want to hear from fans about the benefits of losing out.
“Obviously, it’s very important for us to finish these next four weeks out strong,” Dart said as the bye week began. “We have a lot of guys that are coming back next year, so you want to carry that momentum over.”