The New York Giants suffered another series of injuries to their starters following their 16-13 loss against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16. The loss drops the team to 2-13 on the year, putting them in position to secure the first overall pick in next year’s draft.

New York’s season has been marred by significant injuries to its starting roster, including a gruesome ankle injury to running back Cam Skattebo and an ACL tear to wide receiver Malik Nabers. The team now has serious holes in their offensive line that cannot be addressed and a dwindling depth chart in their secondary. It’s unknown how the team plans to address the issues before their Week 17 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

My Hottest Take: Bench The Injured Players For The Rest Of The Season

In the second quarter, the Giants lost their star left tackle, Andrew Thomas, to a hamstring injury. The team immediately placed rookie tackle Marcus Mbow into the game while Thomas was later ruled out for the rest of the game. It marked the second time the star lineman has been injured this year, recovering from Lisfranc surgery earlier this year.

Then, the team lost its starting center, John Michael Schmitz, to a hand injury in the third quarter. Schmitz had recently recovered from a concussion and had been emerging as a top-tier center in the NFL following a rocky debut a few years ago. It also didn’t help matters that the team also lost Cor’Dale Flott, arguably their best cornerback, to a leg injury in the game as well, stretching an already-thin secondary.

With nothing left to play for except the exclusive rights to the first overall pick, the team might be better off just benching its starters for the last two games. Most of their coaching staff has been fired, the general manager is likely on his way out the door, and the team is in the middle of what could be their worst season in franchise history. At the same time, they have pieces on their roster that could very well help them return to playoff contention in three years, such as quarterback Jaxson Dart, the aforementioned Skattebo and Nabers, and Abdul Carter on defense.

Meanwhile, on the draft side, there are quarterback-needy teams that would be desperate to trade up for Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza. That’s something to take into consideration.

What You Need To Know: The Defense Nearly Won The Giants The Game

The Giants' defense has seen somewhat of a turnaround since the firing of Shane Bowen from the defensive coordinator job.

After a lackluster defensive performance against the New England Patriots in Week 13, they limited the Washington Commanders to 340 yards on offense, while also recovering two fumbles, including one that put the Giants in striking distance to win. They did even better against the Vikings, capping them at 240 yards while forcing a fumble for a touchdown and an interception in the first half.

There’s been more aggressive playcalling under interim defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen, who previously served as the outside linebackers coach. Abdul Carter is also breaking out, recording three sacks in his last three games, along with two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He also has six quarterback hits during that time frame.

As mentioned previously, the defense will be one area of improvement to watch for the Giants in the draft. Given their recent play, it’s easy to see this defense could be one of the more solid groups if they get the right players.

Before You Go: The Giants Must Lose Next Week To Save Their 2026 Season

The Giants and Raiders will face off in Las Vegas next Sunday for what will be the game to decide who locks in the first overall pick.

Both teams have stagnant offenses and questionable defense, even with the Raiders having Ashton Jeanty on their team and Geno Smith as their quarterback. The problem for New York lies in the fact that the Raiders' offense is stagnant, especially if Carter and Brian Burns run havoc on the Las Vegas offensive line.

The goal is simple: Play worse than the other team. If they do, they could be getting a king’s ransom during the offseason.