For just over thirty-one hours, the Giants held the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
On Monday Night Football, the Falcons (7-7) defeated the Raiders (2-12) 15-3 at Allegiant Stadium, moving the Raiders to the top pick and pushing the Giants back to No. 2. The Raiders are ahead because they have a strength-of-schedule advantage over Big Blue, which is.538 to.550.
The NFL’s official website explains the tiebreaker rules in detail here, if you need a refresher.
The Giants (2-12) could have controlled their own fate to the first pick by losing out if Las Vegas had managed to pull off the upset, which was always unlikely. With Tim Boyle starting at quarterback and star injuries mounting, they have a good chance of succeeding, particularly in upcoming games against the Falcons (6-7) and the Eagles (11-2).
However, the race to the bottom won’t be simple. Absolutely not.
The Raiders appear to be in on the tank, and they, like the Giants, also need a quarterback. The remaining games they play are against the Jaguars (3-11), Saints (5-8), and Chargers (8-4).
There are five three-win teams behind Vegas who might be hoping to lose as well, even if they are able to steal a victory.
The Giants desperately need a top three pick so they can choose between Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, even though this class may be weaker than usual.
