The New York Giants will have the third priority in the NFL’s waiver wire order through the first three weeks of the 2025 regular season. While it’s a painful reminder of their 3-14 disaster of a season, this positioning does offer them a legitimate chance to add impact players over the next seven months.
With the waiver order mirroring the 2025 draft order, the Giants will be behind only the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns when it comes to claiming released players. That means if any intriguing talent hits the market, general manager Joe Schoen will have an early shot at adding them to the roster—if he plays his cards right.
For a team that needs serious upgrades across the board, this is an opportunity the Giants have to take advantage of. Whether it’s a surprise cap casualty, an underutilized young player, or a veteran looking for a fresh start, Big Blue can’t afford to sit on its hands.
The NFL's waiver period for the 2025 league year begins today.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) February 10, 2025
From now through Week 3 of the regular season, the waiver order will mirror the draft order.
The Titans have top priority on all waived players for the next 7 months.
Waiver priority could help Joe Schoen find cheap talent
Having the third spot in the waiver order isn’t just about picking up scraps—it’s about being aggressive and proactive. The Giants have pressing needs on the offensive line, at pass rusher, and, of course, at quarterback. While it’s unlikely a franchise QB will randomly become available, other positions could see valuable additions as teams trim rosters and make financial decisions.
In recent years, teams with high waiver priority have found legitimate contributors. The Detroit Lions, for example, grabbed defensive end Romeo Okwara off waivers back in 2018—from the Giants, no less—and he went on to be a pretty decent pass rusher. The Seattle Seahawks landed cornerback D.J. Reed, who became a relevant starter. The Giants themselves saw how impactful a waiver claim could be when they picked up Isaiah Hodgins in 2022.
This season, waiver wire action will start ramping up after the draft and especially in late August, when teams trim their rosters down to 53 players. The Giants will be in prime position to scoop up talent that other teams can’t afford to keep.
Schoen hasn’t exactly earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to roster-building, and this waiver priority means there’s no excuse to sit idly by. The Giants need depth, competition, and, frankly, better talent on the team. They have seven months to use this advantage before the order resets in Week 4—every missed opportunity will be another indictment on a front office that desperately needs to prove it can fix the mess it's put itself in.
At the end of the day, the Giants are in this position because they were one of the worst teams in football last season. Now, they need to use every tool available to make sure they’re not right back here next year.