Sunday afternoon update: The Giants defeated the Cowboys 34-17 on Sunday, officially eliminating them from contention for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Raiders will officially have the top pick in April.
NFL Draft 2026: How the Giants can clinch the No. 1 pick in Week 18
How can the New York Giants clinch the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft?
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Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
The New York Giants improved to 3-13 in Week 17 with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
But that win could prove costly when it comes to the 2026 NFL Draft.
The win put the Raiders into the top spot with one week remaining, as Las Vegas dropped to 2-14 on the season. That means the Raiders can clinch the No. 1 pick this weekend with a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
However, the Giants still have an outside shot at the top pick. Here is how New York can clinch the No. 1 pick for the 2026 NFL Draft here in Week 18.
Giants No. 1 pick scenarios in Week 18
While they face long odds, there is one path for the Giants to clinch the No. 1 pick here in Week 18.
First, they need to lose to the Dallas Cowboys, which would drop them to 3-14. They would also need the Raiders to win their game against the Kansas City Chiefs, which would improve their record to 3-14.
That would push the rights to the No. 1 pick to the tiebreaker, which is Strength of Schedule. When it comes to determining the NFL Draft order, the team with a weaker schedule gets the better pick. So in addition to a loss to the Cowboys and a Raiders’ win over the Chiefs, New York would need at least 1.5 combined wins from these teams: The Atlanta Falcons, the Chicago Bears, the Cleveland Browns, and the Seattle Seahawks. That would improve the Raiders’ Strength of Schedule enough to give the Giants the No. 1 pick based on that tiebreaker.
Right now the Raiders have played the tougher schedule according to Tankathon, .542 for Las Vegas compared to .531 for the Giants.
The last time the Giants had the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft was in the 1965 NFL Draft. New York selected Auburn running back Tucker Frederickson. It is also worth noting that Eli Manning was the first pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, but his rights were subsequently traded to the Giants after the pick was made.
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