Rest in peace to any and all playoff hopes surrounding the New York Giants. After falling 27-20 to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon, the G-Men have officially secured a losing record for the 2025 season. I'll hold while you pop the champagne.
Big Blue never truly stood a chance against Green Bay. Without rookie quarterback sensation Jaxson Dart, star wide receiver Malik Nabers, rookie running back Cam Skattebo, and veteran wideout Darius Slayton, the writing was all but on the wall for interim head coach Mike Kafka, who — despite said adversity — put together a strong performance in his HC debut.
While the fifth-straight loss all but signaled the end of another miserable Giants season, it's not all bad news. The G-Men hold the second-worst record in the league — trailing only the Tennessee Titans — meaning their chances of stealing the first pick in the 2026 Draft just got that much better. Here's a look at the updated board as of Week 11.
Giants inch closer to No. 1 pick in 2026 NFL Draft after Week 11 loss to Packers
- Tennessee Titans (1-9)
- New York Giants (2-9)
- Cleveland Browns (2-8)
- New Orleans Saints (2-8)
- New York Jets (2-8)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-7)
- Washington Commanders (3-8)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons - 3-7)
- Cincinnati Bengals (3-7)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-7)
- Miami Dolphins (4-7)
- Dallas Cowboys (3-5-1)
- Minnesota Vikings (4-6)
- Baltimore Ravens (5-5)
- Kansas City Chiefs (5-5)
- Houston Texans (5-5)
- Carolina Panthers (6-5)
- Detroit Lions (6-4)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4)
- Cleveland (via Jacksonville Jaguars - 6-4)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (7-4)
- San Francisco 49ers (7-4)
- Dallas (via Green Bay Packers - 6-3-1)
- Chicago Bears (7-3)
- Buffalo Bills (7-3)
- Seattle Seahawks (7-3)
- New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts - 8-2)
- Los Angeles Rams (8-2)
- New England Patriots (9-2)
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-2)
- Denver Broncos (9-2)
As of the writing of this article, the Giants are slated to pick second in the upcoming draft. They move up one whole spot from last week's updated draft board.
The last time Big Blue had the second overall pick, they selected Saquon Barkley out of Penn State. While they never got to reap the benefits of Barkley's best, he was still a highly productive back in East Rutherford and worthy of the selection. The only other player NY has taken No. 2 overall was Lawrence Taylor, who's only regarded as one of the best defensive players in NFL history. So no pressure.
If the Giants get the second pick, history is on their side. However, there's no guarantee they keep the pick if it's that low. They already have a franchise quarterback, left tackle, and No. 1 wide receiver, providing them with a tantalizing trade-back opportunity.
The one thing holding back any real excitement is the front office. It’s still unclear whether general manager Joe Schoen will be around for the draft process after curiously surviving Brian Daboll’s firing — but he shouldn’t be. Four years in, he’s shown he can’t build a competitive roster, and this pick needs to reflect the next regime’s vision, not his.
There's just no way ownership can trust him with such an important decision. They can't.
As for the remaining schedule, the two most winnable games remaining are against the Washington Commanders in Week 15 and the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17. Another "can't wait for April" season in November. Yay.