With just a few weeks left in the regular season, the New York Giants are staring down a reality that once seemed unthinkable - holding the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Thanks to the Tennessee Titans pulling off a surprising Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns, the Giants now sit atop the draft order, and not in a good way.
The Titans came into the week with the league’s worst record at 1-11, but their upset victory bumped them to 2-11 - tying them with the Giants in the standings. But when it comes to draft positioning, it’s not just about the record.
The tiebreaker? Strength of schedule.
And that’s where New York edges (or falls behind, depending on your perspective) Tennessee.
According to Tankathon, the Giants’ strength of schedule sits at .538, slightly lower than the Titans’ .573. That means the Giants have faced the “easier” slate of opponents, which gives them the inside track for the top pick if the two teams finish with identical records. It’s a quirky but critical part of the draft equation.
Now, let’s be clear - the Giants didn’t plan to be in this spot. Their schedule looked tougher on paper back in August, but several of their opponents have underperformed in 2025.
Still, New York has faced nine teams with winning records, while Tennessee has gone up against 10. It’s been a brutal season for both squads, but the Giants' path has been just a touch less daunting, at least statistically.
The Giants are currently riding a seven-game losing streak, and there’s not much on tape that suggests a turnaround is imminent. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned from past seasons, it’s that the NFL’s late-season draft race is anything but predictable. Just last year, the Titans weren’t even the frontrunners for the No. 1 pick until a few other struggling teams - including the Patriots, Raiders, and Jaguars - strung together some surprise wins down the stretch.
Looking ahead, the Giants’ final four games come against the Commanders, Vikings, Raiders, and Cowboys. It’s not the most daunting closing stretch, and depending on injuries and playoff motivations, they might even be favored in one or two of those matchups. Jayden Daniels’ latest injury, for instance, could tilt the scales in New York’s favor when they face Washington.
On the flip side, the Titans have a much tougher road ahead. They’ll close the season against the 49ers, Chiefs, Saints, and Jaguars.
Three of those teams are deep in the playoff hunt and won’t be taking their foot off the gas. Only the Saints are outside the postseason picture, but even that matchup won’t be a walk in the park for Tennessee.
So here we are: four games left, two teams tied at the bottom, and a race for the top pick that could come down to a single win - or loss. The Giants may not have planned to be in this position, but with the draft board now leaning in their favor, the final month of the season could have massive implications for the future of the franchise.
Whether they hold onto that No. 1 pick or not, one thing’s clear: the Giants are now squarely in the driver’s seat of the 2026 NFL Draft.