Big Blue battling Cincy for top pick

The Giants still have a chance to be No. 1 at something this season.

The Bengals’ first win of the year Sunday over the Jets, combined with the Packers handing the Giants their eighth straight loss, have tightened the race for the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Wins by Washington and Miami — to improve both teams to 3-9 — also leave the Giants (2-10) alone in the second spot, one game behind (or ahead of ) Cincinnati (1-11), with four weeks remaining in the regular season.

The Bengals have two games left against AFC North foe Cleveland, sandwiched around games against New England and Miami. Pat Shurmur’s Giants face Philadelphia twice — next Monday night and again in the season finale — and they also have pivotal draft-order games remaining against the Dolphins and the Redskins.

If the Giants and Cincinnati finish in a tie for the worst record in the league, the first tiebreaker is strength of schedule, which is the combined win-loss record for all 16 of each team’s opponents. The team with the lower strength of schedule — meaning their opponents combined for fewer wins — would be granted the first pick.

According to Tanakthon.com, the Giants’ opponents this season presently have a winning percentage of .466, while Cincinnati’s opponents have posted a .573 figure.

The Giants, who took Saquon Barkley with the No. 2overall pick in 2018, haven’t had the top selection since 1965, when they drafted Auburn running back Tucker Frederickson. He totaled just 2,209 rushing yards over six seasons before he was forced to retire in 1971 due to a knee injury.

Having drafted quarterback Daniel Jones this year with the sixth-overall pick, the Giants could target highly touted Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young in 2020. The No. 1 pick could be used as a way to lure quarterbackneedy teams into trading a haul of selections to move up for LSU Heisman favorite Joe Burrow.