He kicked the New York Giants to a pair of Super Bowls, so Lawrence Tynes knows the value of winning any game, even when victory costs his old team the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.
That’s the reality the Giants are waking up to after thrashing the Las Vegas Raiders 34-10 in Week 17. Getting out-tanked by the Raiders leaves the Giants all-but certain to miss out on owning the first-overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
It looks like a missed opportunity for the Giants, who played their best game of the season when there was more reward for losing. Yet, Tynes savaged the idea the Giants made a mistake playing to win at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, December 28.
Tynes, who lifted the Lombardi Trophy with both the 2007 and ’11 teams, stated “The Giants going from the #1 pick to the #2 pick in the 2026 Draft does not adversely affect the future of the franchise.”
As Tynes pointed out, “The Giants have been the worst team in the NFL for almost a decade now. Picking 15 mins later is not going to determine if the Giants can turn this around or not, it is much deeper than that.”
Finally, Tynes railed against “All the fake outrage for winning today is immature and for clicks. Lots of things need to change in order for this team to get back to relevance and the NFL Draft is just one component of that.”
It’s a strong argument from a former player who helped the Giants win the game’s biggest prize, but today’s team is as far away as possible from the Super Bowl. These Giants will enter the new year facing a 3-14 or 4-13 finish, and ready to begin their search for yet another new head coach.
What they likely won’t do without ownership of the top pick is begin scouting a potential replacement for quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Jaxson Dart Avoided Draft Dilemma With Raiders Win
Whatever happens next for the Giants, they appear to have their quarterback. At least for the short-term.
Dart has done enough to provide some optimism for the future. Particularly after the rookie rushed for two touchdowns, threw for over 200 yards and didn’t commit any turnovers against the Raiders.
It’s fair to question how hard the Raiders were trying to stop Dart. Especially when the Silver and Black had already shutdown the most disruptive player on their defense.
That wasn’t Dart’s problem, and he responded the right way. In the process, the former Ole Miss star likely ended any talk of the Giants drafting Indiana passer Fernando Mendoza.
Chatter about Mendoza was also debunked by one of Tynes’ former teammates, franchise all-time rushing leader Tiki Barber. He told WFAN Sports Radio, “I don’t care what you hear or what you read, the Giants ARE NOT drafting Fernando Mendoza.”
There are still lingering questions about Dart’s development. Murmurings of concern that have grown louder since head coach Brian Daboll was fired and replaced by interim boss Mike Kafka.
For now, those questions can wait and the Giants can focus on putting more talent around Dart. A task that might’ve been easier if Big Blue entered the pre-draft process armed with the first pick.
Giants Swerved Bumper Trade Scenario
Owning the most sought-after pick would have put some bumper trade scenarios on the table for the Giants. The opportunity to swap the primary selection for a haul of extra picks, and possibly even some veteran help, would be a major boost to a roster needing reinforcements everywhere.
Of course, the Giants could still flip the second or even third-overall picks for similar bundles, but the trade package for the No. 1 choice would no doubt be larger. Either way, being relatively settled at quarterback will give the Giants some much-needed flexibility in the draft.
Teams that trade up usually do so for the chance to acquire a playmaker at football’s most important position. The Giants ought to play things differently by adding some pass-catchers for Dart, beefing up a steady but far from dominant offensive line and finding run-stuffers for the front seven.
Each of those things would ease the burden on Dart to carry the team via his exciting, but occasionally reckless dual-threat skills.
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