The New York Giants enter Week 17 with a record of 2-13 and currently hold the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Given how things have gone for New York, having the top pick in the draft gives the Giants options, but there are two weeks left in the regular season, and nothing is set in stone.
If the Giants obtain the top pick, they can use it to gain draft capital by trading back, or they can select a high-end player at a position they need filled. A handful of experts have said that the Giants should trade Jaxson Dart and draft Fernando Mendoza with the top pick, but until we know who the next head coach is going to be, we don’t know what they will do with that pick.
Before they can even worry about it, though, the Giants have to secure the top pick in the draft. For that to happen, several things need to happen over the next two weeks.
First and foremost, the Giants have to lose to the Las Vegas Raiders this weekend. That alone is integral in the Giants’ chances at having the top pick in the draft, as it eliminates the Raiders from the same-record debate.
There are other ways the Giants can get there, though.
Let’s take a look at which teams to root for in Week 17 that will help the Giants secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Cleveland Browns
At 3-12, the Browns still have a path to the top draft pick if they lose. But if they beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, that will give them four wins on the season. Four wins would remove the Browns from the mix and stabilize tie-breaking scenarios at the bottom of the standings. There are currently four 3-win teams, and if Cleveland can beat the Steelers, they will be out of the mix.
New York Jets
Listen, there isn’t a Giants fan on the planet that wants to root for their little brother. But if they beat the New England Patriots this weekend, it will provide a high-impact boost to the Giants’ strength of schedule (SOS) position. SOS plays a huge role in the draft order, and the weaker the Giants’ SOS is with the losses they’ve incurred, the more likely they are to stay at the top of the draft order.
Buffalo Bills
Yeah, another team Giants’ fans don’t want to root for. But the Giants need to accumulate SOS points, and a Bills’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles gives the Giants four points (explanation here). If they can get seven SOS points in Week 17, they’ll have locked down the No. 1 pick before the season ends. A Bills win gives the Giants over half of that.
Baltimore Ravens
If the Ravens can beat the Green Bay Packers, it will give the Giants two SOS points. Combine that with a Bills win, and there’s only one more SOS point the Giants need to secure the top pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
One-point SOS games
The Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos won their respective games on Christmas Day, so that’s two points for the Giants’ SOS. Other teams the Giants need to win are the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Atlanta Falcons.
The Giants have to lose to the Raiders on Sunday, though. Otherwise, it becomes a much more convoluted journey to getting the top pick in the draft. It’s not impossible, but it puts more reliance on what other teams do. The Giants control their destiny right now, but a win takes much of that control out of their hands.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 2026 NFL draft order: New York Giants rooting guide in Week 17
Reporting by Serena Burks, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
