The New York Giants’ No. 6 pick in this year’s draft is hard to project. Adding a premiere wide receiver prospect seems likely, but taking a quarterback is firmly on the table. Most mock drafts have the Giants taking one of the draft class’s three best wide receiver prospects, but ESPN’s latest had them taking the other option.
Controversy surrounds Michigan QB prospect J.J. McCarthy. Formerly viewed as a day-two prospect, his stock has risen into the top-five picks of the first round. The Giants could possibly select him, though that move would be met with equal amounts of praise and criticism. Despite the controversy, ESPN had the Giants taking McCarthy with the No. 6 pick in their latest mock draft.
Giants select Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy in ESPN mock draft
McCarthy might not last long enough for the Giants to take him with the sixth-overall pick as the Minnesota Vikings seem interested in trading up for him. But in this mock draft, McCarthy manages to fall into the Giants’ lap, which ESPN’s Matt Miller describes as a “dream scenario” for them:
“We’re not making trades here, so this might play out differently,” Miller writes. “But this would be a dream scenario for the Giants, as McCarthy could even sit behind Daniel Jones for 2024 if he’s not ready for immediate action.”
Two of the top three wide receiver prospects were already off the board at six in this mock draft, but Washington’s Rome Odunze was still available. Other notable prospects who were on the board include Notre Dame OT Joe Alt and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. However, Miller had Big Blue opting to reset their quarterback position instead.
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Could the Giants end up drafting McCarthy?
The Giants hosted McCarthy for a visit earlier this week, indicating they have some level of interest in drafting the Michigan signal-caller. The 6-foot-3, 219-pound quarterback impressed scouts at both the NFL Scouting Combine in February and Michigan’s Pro Day which took place on Friday.
In 2023, McCarthy threw for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns with only four interceptions en route to a National Championship for the Wolverines. However, he threw only 332 passes (completing 240 for a 72.3% completion rate). His low total of attempts has become a point of criticism for McCarthy as some analysts question his ability to lead a high-level passing attack at the NFL level.
But McCarthy has all the tools and traits to become something special at the next level. It might be a bit of a reach for some to take him with the sixth pick, but others will be excited by the potential of having Brian Daboll coach up McCarthy’s talent.