One win, so many questions.
The Giants not only ended a franchise-record 10-game losing streak by defeating the Colts on Sunday.
They clarify the playoff picture (eliminate the Colts), shake up the NFL draft order (handing the No. 1 pick to the Patriots for now), and what to think about next week as they decide the fate of general manager Joe Schon gave ownership. and head coach Brian Daboll.
Let's tackle five new questions for a fan base that isn't just focused on making Colorado's Shedule Sanders or Miami's Cam Ward the No. 1 pick to be their franchise quarterback.
Where will the Giants draft?
The Giants hold the No. 4 pick, but have a less than 1 percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick back, according to an ESPN analysis.
So you're saying there's a chance?
Yes, the Giants lose to the Eagles (likely to play as a reserve) and can climb back into first place with three upsets: Patriots beat Bills (likely to play as a reserve), Titans beat the Texans (likely to play as a reserve), and the Browns beat the Ravens.
If the Giants lose, they will move up in the standings by the number of other 3-13 teams who win.
Even if they win, the Giants could fall to 9th place if the Jaguars, Panthers, Jets, Raiders, and Bears (all losers in Week 18) lose and finish 4-13.
Strength of schedule (.551) works against them in every tiebreaker, except perhaps against the Bears (.554).
The Giants have an 88.2 percent chance of getting a top-five pick.
What did this win do for Shane and Daboll's job security?
In theory, one late-season anomaly shouldn't significantly change an owner's overall analysis.
That wasn't the case in 2019 when Pat Shurmur was fired at 2-1 right after a nine-game losing streak.
But if the Giants already want to maintain the status quo, an example of players not leaving Daboll and him calling plays and getting better quarterback play than what happened for most of the season. Here's an example of what's possible.
Shane has been acting as if he expects to stay (and spreading the word to league officials).
Co-owner John Mara declined to comment to the Post after Sunday's win, but expressed relief at ending the losing streak.
The counterargument would be that the main reason they held onto Schoen and Daboll until Sunday was because they didn't have the opportunity to draft and develop a quarterback.
But while this win may have put the Giants out of position to draft their desired first-round quarterback again, does that reasoning still apply?
Will off-the-radar decision makers evaluate the 2025 quarterback class more honestly?
The No. 1 pick, and the selection of a quarterback, would have been a big selling point for the candidate had the job been offered.
Without it, the job becomes less attractive.
What will happen to the quarterback search?
The focus on Sanders and Ward needs to be expanded. That's because those two, along with receiver/cornerback dual-threat Travis Hunter, are likely to be drafted in the top three of the draft in some order.
Start thinking about free agency led by Sam Darnold and Russell Wilson.
Of course, these two high-end starters could be franchise-tagged or signed to extensions by the Vikings and Steelers, respectively.
Several recycled bridge options (Andy Dalton, Jameis Winston, Jacoby Brissett) are expected to return to the market.
Same goes for Justin Fields, who had an unexpectedly slow trade market last season, but is still young and had revitalizing success starting six games for the Steelers.
The Falcons are considering trading Kirk Cousins to the bench, which allows him to choose his next destination due to his no-trade clause.
He comes with a guaranteed salary of $27.5 million, which would be reasonable if he believes he can return to his pre-Achilles-rupture form in the second year of his recovery.
If the Vikings re-sign Darnold, could they trade for 2024 first-round pick JJ McCarthy (who was heavily scouted but passed on by the Giants, who drafted Malik Nabors)?
The Giants also told scouting executives they have four potential mid-round picks: Alabama's Jalen Milroe, Mississippi's Jackson Dart, Texas' Quinn Ewers and Georgia's Carson Beck. He reportedly made contact with the quarterback on multiple raw occasions.
How much does it cost to trade to No.1?
The last time a No. 1 was traded was in 2023, when the Panthers traded No. 9 to the Bears for a future first-round pick, two second-rounders, and a top draft pick for receiver DJ Moore. Sent.
However, Sanders and Ward aren't considered in scouting circles to be as much of a 2023 prospect as Bryce Young or CJ Stroud.
And going up from around number 4 instead of number 9 makes a big difference in cost.
The two best examples are from 20 years ago, but trade profits have skyrocketed since then.
The Chargers traded No. 1 to the Falcons for future second-rounder and receiver Tim Dwight and the No. 3 pick at No. 5, and the Giants traded the No. 5 pick to the Falcons for future first-rounder and receiver Tim Dwight. Rivers). After the quarterback was selected, they took a rounder and future fifth-rounder to the Chargers (Eli Manning) with the first pick.
Who are the other potential first-round picks?
The non-quarterback players are projected to be top-10 picks and align well with the Giants' needs. That's in part because there are so many spots to upgrade, even though 18 of the 22 starters are under contract through 2025.
The Giants will now look elsewhere for quarterbacks, including defensive tackle Mason Graham of Michigan State, edge rusher Abdul Carter of Penn State, cornerback Will Johnson of Michigan State and offensive tackle Mason Graham of Texas State. A case could be made for starting Kelvin Banks or a first-round pick in Arizona receiver Tetailoa. Macmillan.
