New York Giants Tank Their Way to No. 1 Pick; Now Comes the Real Disaster

The New York Giants currently sit in the driver's seat for the top pick in the draft with a 2-13 record and their $160 million quarterback is on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad. 

Putting aside any allegations of “tanking” for the top pick in the draft, the Giants are left in a precarious spot with a relatively weak pool of quarterback prospects and plenty of holes to plug on their roster. 

The consensus top two quarterback options, Miami’s Cameron Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, both likely would have been late first rounders or second rounders in last year's class. 

While both are projected as top 5 picks due to quarterback demand, they lack the traditional level of scout interest that top passers have seen in recent years. It's reminiscent of the 2022 NFL Draft, where many pundits projected former Liberty QB Malik Willis in the top ten overall before he fell to the third round.

While there's little indication that General Manager Joe Schoen will be shown the door after this season, the decision to leave him in charge or replace him will loom large over the quarterback decision. 

If he takes Ward or Sanders and gets fired next year, it could lead to years of organizational struggles, as whoever replaces Schoen may disagree at the quarterback position and give their “would-be” franchise quarterback less room for error. 

Supposing that Schoen does stay, he’ll have to roll the dice again on a quarterback sooner rather than later, and there’s no guarantee next year that he'll either get the first dart throw or that any of the quarterbacks available will be better than Ward or Sanders. 

If he believes in either of the two top passers in this year's class, he'll likely feel obligated to swing or risk never drafting a first-round quarterback in his GM tenure.

The decision to draft a quarterback rather than trade back and acquire resources would be a divisive one, as research on draft strategy suggests that teams both overvalue top draft picks and that the quarterback market in the draft is uniquely different from every other position. 

With the number of positional holes that the Giants have, it would make a lot of sense for them to simply stock up on early-round selections for the next couple of years, but it would leave Schoen potentially setting up his successor rather than taking a shot at saving his job. 

Another dilemma they'll face if the Giants do keep Schoen and he decides to swing at quarterback is who to choose between Ward and Sanders. 

It's a decision that could be influenced to some degree by ownership. 

For the last 20 years, the Giants have had mild-mannered and “out of the spotlight” quarterbacks in Eli Manning and Daniel Jones, and the selection of Sanders would be a strong departure from that mold. 

The New York market is infamous for its ability to tear at athletes and constantly poke at big personalities. Sanders’ temperament will be put under the microscope after some of the spectacles during his time at Colorado.

The most likely outcome seems to be Schoen staying, the Giants taking Ward with the first overall pick, and the front office entertaining offers in hopes of landing something that is simply too good to pass up. But the most likely outcome isn't necessarily the most promising one.