The New York Giants are doing their due diligence on this year’s top quarterback prospects. Currently holding the No. 6 overall pick in the draft order, the Giants could take a quarterback in the first round of next month’s NFL Draft.
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, perhaps this year’s biggest riser in draft stock, seems to be piquing the Giants’ interest. They have scheduled a private workout with McCarthy on Easter Sunday, according to Pat Leonard of The New York Daily News.
The Giants are having a private workout with Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy
Leonard reported that the Giants are scheduled to send a contingent to Ann Arbor, Michigan on Sunday to have a private workout with McCarthy. The G-Men had scouts and coaches in attendance for McCarthy’s pro day last week, but general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll couldn’t make it due to scheduling conflicts.
Schoen and Daboll will finally get that opportunity to see McCarthy work out this weekend. This will be McCarthy’s fourth time meeting with or working out in front of the Giants. He met with them at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine in April, where he also did field drills for the whole league to see. McCarthy also visited the Giants earlier this month, which included dinner with the front office and a tour of the facility, per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz.
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Could the Giants end up drafting McCarthy?
McCarthy was once believed to be a late first-round or early day-two prospect. But he has since seen a meteoric rise in draft stock which has propelled him into a bonafide lock for a top-10 pick (probably even top-five). Though it would be a move met with controversy, it is clear that the Giants are considering taking McCarthy with their first-round pick.
According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, many believe McCarthy is Big Blue’s top target, and they will need to consider whether or not they want to trade up to draft him:
“A lot of people think the Giants’ guy is J.J. McCarthy, and if so, the question is whether they can sit at No. 6 and take him or whether they might need to trade up a spot or two.”
A trade-up might be necessary to land McCarthy due to the increased demand around the league for this class’s top quarterback prospects. Quarterbacks are expected to fly off the board with the first three picks, making McCarthy the likely No. 4 guy in this class. He could slide to pick No. 6, however, there is a chance that a team picking behind the Giants trades up in front of them to steal McCarthy. New York could thwart those efforts by trading up a couple of spots.
In 2023, McCarthy led Michigan to a National Championship title. He threw 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns with only four interceptions. McCarthy is only 21 years old and is viewed highly in the NFL as a quarterback prospect with all of the tools and traits necessary to be developed into a high-level starter. The Giants may value McCarthy highly and do whatever they can to put him in a blue uniform next month.