The world didn't necessarily end when the New York Giants beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-17 in a meaningless Week 18 matchup, but their hopes for a top draft pick did.
The Giants entered the game with the second overall pick in the 2026 Draft, with a clear path to keeping the pick or securing the No. 1 slot. A loss would’ve done them wonders for both scenarios, but a win makes the explanation completely irrelevant.
Related: Giants wrecked their draft position by beating Cowboys at the worst possible time
The good news is they finally snapped their nine-game losing streak to Dallas -- and 14-game losing streak to Dak Prescott. How's that for a moral victory? In terms of the product on the field, it was hard not to watch the game and get excited for next season.
The G-Men ended another disastrous season on a hot streak -- a two-game winning streak -- for what it's worth. Here are the biggest winners and losers from their Week 18 win over the Cowboys.
3 winners (and 2 losers) from Giants’ season-ending win over the Cowboys
Winner No. 1: Tyrone Tracy Jr.'s 1K streak
Replacing Saquon Barkley was never going to be possible, let alone easy. And Tyrone Tracy learned that lesson the hard way last year as Barkley went on to rush for over 2,000 yards and win a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. Tracy did his best to match, going for 1,123 scrimmage yards.
Well, keep the good times rolling. After a tremendous 56 receiving yards and 103 rushing yards on Sunday, he went back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 scrimmage yards. Not bad for a fifth-rounder.
Winner No. 2: Jaxson Dart's hold on the starting role
The Jaxson Dart hate is getting out of hand. No, he didn't win every game as Big Blue's starter this year. And no, he didn't throw for 25,000 yards and 500 touchdowns in his rookie season, either. But that doesn't mean the 22-year-old was a scrub. Far from it.
Dart had a very solid final act against the Cowboys. He threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 32 yards on the ground. Without Malik Nabers, Cam Skattebo, a head coach, and a competent front office, the 25th-overall pick did everything he could to keep this team competitive, and for that, he's easily earned the starting role next year.
Winner No. 3: Daniel Bellinger's next contract
Daniel Bellinger will hit free agency for the first time in his young NFL career. The 25-year-old just set a modest career high in receiving yards (286), while tying his career high in receiving touchdowns (2). While those numbers don't scream, "Brinks truck," you can bet he'll garner interest from several other teams.
He's known as more of a blocking tight end, but there seems to be some real untapped receiver skills in his 6-foot-6, 255-pound frame. Over the Cap values him at around $5.5 million per season for this next contract. That's a big pay increase from his rookie contract. Whether he stays in East Rutherford or not, expect the former San Diego State Aztec to cash in.
Loser No. 1: Giants' draft pick
I touched on this earlier in the article, but there's no other way around it. Going from the second pick to the fifth pick is brutal. There are several QB-needy teams, with two options worth trading up for: Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) and Dante Moore (Oregon). There's no way they're fleecing anyone for the fifth pick.
There will still be interesting options available at five. Wide receivers Carnell Tate (Ohio State) and Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) are interesting. Arvell Reese (Ohio State) would be an interesting option at linebacker if they go best player available. Regardless, instead of trading back for a haul, they'll likely have to settle for their own pick, and their own pick alone.
Loser No. 2: Deonte Banks' run in East Rutherford
The G-Men didn't trade up in the 2023 Draft to select Deonte Banks 24th overall for him to be a glorified return man, but fast forward three seasons, and that's where we're at. Sure, he's been pretty solid as a returner, but he's unplayable as a cornerback... and that's a problem.
Cor'Dale Flott wasn't active for the game, leaving the starting spot opposite Paulson Adebo open. And instead of seizing the opportunity, he was benched for Rico Payton, an undrafted free agent waiver claim who's more of a practice squad player than a 53-man roster guy. That's bad news for Banks.