The Giants need a QB, and the NFL world knows it -- drafting one won't be simple

PHILADELPHIA -- The Giants lost to the Eagles, 20-13, and avoided the worst-case scenario in that regard. Their franchise-quarterback-drafting dreams would have been borderline extinct had they won. So, that’s good.

What’s not? Everything else they needed to have happen did not.

The Patriots won. The Browns and Titans lost.

The order is now set: Tennessee, Cleveland, New York.

All three need quarterbacks. There are not three worthy of a top-five pick.

Let the fun begin.

The Giants do have other decisions to make before addressing the draft. General manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll will meet with ownership to address the state of the team and the direction they believe it’s headed.

The Giants finished the year 3-14 and winless within the division. Schoen, after his first year, said his goal was to close the gap between the Giants and their NFC East counterparts. The team has regressed each year of the Schoen-Daboll era, from 9-7-1 to 6-11 and this, one of the worst marks in franchise history.

John Mara and Steve Tisch must decide if they want to stay the course or blow it up. It’s not an easy call, but it pales in comparison to what awaits the current regime or a new one come the draft.

The Giants need a quarterback. The NFL world knows they need a quarterback. Getting one will now prove quite a bit more complicated.

The Giants were in control of their own draft destiny as early as eight days ago. If they lost their final two games (Colts, Eagles), they’d have the No. 1 pick. There, most assumed, they’d select Shedeur Sanders.

Sanders thought that, too. He donned Giants cleats before Colorado’s bowl game. Schoen and his staff spent significant time studying Sanders not just this year, but had their report on him ready if he declared for the draft last year -- a reward for this season’s embarrassing futility -- except the Giants beat the Colts.

While the Giants are tied with Tennessee and Cleveland at 3-14, they have the strongest strength of schedule. Things wouldn’t feel so gloomy had the Patriots lost to the Bills and claimed the top selection for themselves.

Unlike the Titans and Browns, New England has its quarterback (Drake Maye). It almost certainly would have traded the top selection for a haul, allowing the Giants to move up and get their guy.

No, trading up for Sanders isn’t as appealing as drafting him organically. But if you believe he’s a franchise guy, no price is too much.

That’s not the case anymore. The Titans are absolutely looking for a quarterback. The Giants' hopes of Sanders are done if Tennessee is set on him and not Miami’s Cam Ward.

The Browns redid Deshaun Watson’s contract, keeping him in Cleveland another season, but that does not mean they’re entrusting him as their guy for the foreseeable future. Watson went 1-6 as a starter this season with a QBR of 23.5. So, yes, Cleveland needs a passer, too.

Quarterbacks went with the first three picks in last year’s draft (the Bears’ Caleb Williams, Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, and Maye). Three more went later in Michael Penix (Falcons), J.J. McCarthy (Vikings) and Bo Nix (Broncos). Aside from McCarthy, who’s missed the season with a knee injury, the others flashed legitimate signs of being franchise signal-callers.

This year’s class is not last year’s class, though. Ask anyone who studies the draft for a living and they will tell you Sanders and Ward are the lone players worthy of top-five selections.

Sources SNY touched base with this week said if Sanders and Ward were in last year’s class, they’d be the fifth- or sixth-best quarterbacks available. Translation: The Giants must come out of this draft with either Sanders or Ward. That might not be possible if the Titans and Browns plan on drafting them or are unwilling to trade their selection to the Giants so they can.

The Giants had a curious game plan against the Eagles in that they treated it almost like a preseason game. They went for it on fourth down at questionable times (fourth-and-9 on their first possession near midfield). They seemed to give up on other drives (a draw on third-and-9 to set up a punt). They rotated their best remaining players (Malik Nabers, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Deonte Banks) to give younger guys reps. Nabers, the most explosive player on the Giants, wasn’t on the field for the final offensive play with a chance to tie the game. Jalin Hyatt, who has eight catches this season, played instead.

Tanking might not be a thing in the NFL, but what the Giants did on Sunday was as close to it as you can get.

It makes you think Daboll and Schoen are safe -- job security the only justification for those actions.

It makes you wonder why it took until Week 18 for the Giants to do it.

Had New York treated the Colts game like it did the Eagles, the Giants likely would have lost.

Then they’d have their quarterback.

Now they must rely on the desires of others.