Giants' Rooting Guide for 2022 NFL Draft Implications of Week 11
The New York Giants are in one of the best positions to take advantage of the 2022 NFL draft.
New York enters Week 11 as the No. 6 team in the projected first-round order, per Tankathon, and it also has the No. 8 pick, acquired from the Chicago Bears.
Sunday and Monday could be fruitful days for the Giants' draft stock since they visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Bears welcome the Baltimore Ravens to Soldier Field.
Losses in both games, combined with a win or two from the teams around the Giants in the draft order, could move them closer to having two top-five selections.
Ravens over Bears
The biggest game for the Giants' draft stock—outside of their trip to the gridiron—takes place in Chicago.
Giants fans should be rooting for the Bears' opponents for the rest of the season so that the pick gained in a draft-day trade in 2021 moves up the projected order. The Bears' pick is scheduled to be at No. 8 right now, but it could rise up the order if the results go New York's way from now until the end of the season.
Justin Fields, whom the Bears traded up to take in April, has shown week-by-week improvement, but he is not at the level of Mac Jones, who has been the star of the 2021 draft quarterback class. His New England Patriots sit at 7-4 following Thursday's win over the Atlanta Falcons.
The Bears were two points away from beating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night in Week 9, so there is some progression happening in Chicago. However, containing Lamar Jackson with a poor rushing defense is a challenge that can't be solved by great quarterback play.
Baltimore is in the middle of a tight AFC North race and needs every win possible to gain separation from the other three teams in order to earn a home playoff game. The Ravens should leave Chicago with a victory, which is the best possible result for the Giants' draft hopes.
Jets over Dolphins
A New York Jets win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday would serve two purposes for the Giants.
First, it would bring the Jets up to the growing list of three-win teams fighting for a top-five pick. Five teams have three victories going into Week 11. It would also keep the Dolphins in that pile of franchises.
Additionally, a Jets win would drop the Giants' media-market rival down a few spots in the projected draft order. The Giants and Jets are not direct competitors on the field most years, but they are competing for attention and the best young talent out of the draft.
It would hurt some Giants fans if a top-three talent were selected by the Jets and he went on to have a successful career.
A Jets victory seems unlikely with Joe Flacco taking over at quarterback, but if Mike White can win a game for the AFC East side, an aging Flacco could certainly do the trick as well.
Washington Football Team over Panthers
The most realistic spot for another three-win team to get a victory is in Carolina.
The Washington Football Team is the best team of the three-win bunch. It would pick at No. 9 if the regular season ended today. Washington already has a win over the Giants, so that helps New York's draft stock, but it never hurts to clear out a draft-pick rival.
Ron Rivera's team faces a tough test against the reinvigorated Carolina Panthers, who have Cam Newton back at quarterback. However, the Washington head coach could have an advantage in the matchup because he coached Newton in Carolina and knows how to game-plan for him.
A Washington win would put the Giants in sole possession of last place in the NFC East if they were to lose to Tampa Bay on Monday. That would help in the chase for a top-five draft pick in 2022.
The Giants could use a Seattle Seahawks win as well given Seattle's first-round pick in 2022 goes to the Jets. But it is hard to see the Seahawks winning Sunday if Kyler Murray returns for the Arizona Cardinals.
Washington has the more realistic chance to win than Seattle. The Giants will likely have to wait another week for Seattle to clear itself out of the top-five pick competition.