The New York Giants need a quarterback arguably more than any other team in the NFL does this offseason, and they are in good position to get one. It is widely assumed that the Giants will select either Miami quarterback Cam Ward or Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders with the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft.
If, for some reason, the Giants don't like any of the quarterbacks in this draft or aren't able to pick either Ward or Sanders, likely because the Titans and Browns picked them with the first two selections, they could also go the free agent route. Someone like Sam Darnold or Kirk Cousins would be a reasonable option as a bridge quarterback for next season while the Giants look for their guy.
However, none of those options may be available to the Giants this offseason. Instead, the Giants may go in an unorthodox direction with their quarterback search this offseason, according to ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.
“I think it's gonna be JJ McCarthy,” Kiper Jr. said. “JJ McCarthy is a year younger than Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. He's coming off the injury, but if you look at his grade last year compared to the grades this year of the quarterbacks, he would be the No. 1 guy. He would be ahead of Drew Allar. He would be certainly ahead of Cam and Shedeur. The decision the Vikings make based on how Sam Darnold plays in the playoffs will determine JJ McCarthy's fate.”
Is JJ McCarthy the best answer for the Giants at quarterback?
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The Giants are in a bit of a dilemma as a team that badly needs a quarterback during a draft where there aren't that many quarterbacks available that teams are viewing as potential franchise-changing guys. However, there is a small chance that JJ McCarthy could be available for trade if Sam Darnold leads the Vikings deep into the playoffs.
McCarthy is coming off of a serious knee injury, but is expected to make a full recovery, which allows evaluators to look at him as a draft prospect compared to this class. On paper, the former Michigan star is the cleanest prospect of the bunch. He doesn't take the same amount of negative plays that both Ward and Sanders have been prone to, and he comes from a pro-style offense which NFL teams view as a plus.
McCarthy doesn't quite have the high-end athleticism that Ward does, but he does have Sanders beat in that department. McCarthy played in a significantly more QB-friendly situation than Sanders did in college, but his steadiness earns him the nod here.
It will likely take more than just the No. 3 overall pick to get McCarthy. The Vikings would also want more picks later in the draft on top of that selection, but it may be a worthwhile investment for the Giants if they think that McCarthy can be their franchise guy. This added storyline gives this year's NFL Draft more drama.
