The New York Giants’ 2025 draft position has taken a hit, and given that there is a very realistic chance that Big Blue defeats the Philadelphia Eagles’ backups in Week 18, it could drop even further after the regular season’s final weekend.
To make matters worse, another win would likely take the Giants out of the hunt for top-ranked quarterback prospects Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders — barring a blockbuster trade to move back up in the order. And if you’re willing to trade whatever it might cost for a youngster like Ward or Sanders, it certainly begs the question of whether or not general manager Joe Schoen should first inquire about a different potential franchise QB instead.
“The Giants currently hold the No. 4 pick,” SNY insider Connor Hughes wrote on January 3. “A win over the Eagles could drop them as low as No. 8.”
“You’re not getting Sanders at No. 8,” the reporter went on. “You can’t trade up for him, either, if quarterback-needy teams pick No. 1 or 2 (Titans, Browns, Jaguars). In that case, don’t force a Jalen Milroe (Alabama) or Quinn Ewers (Texas) selection — offer up No. 8 to Minnesota and get [J.J.] McCarthy.”
Notably, Hughes also relayed that SNY “touched base with multiple talent evaluators across the NFL [and] McCarthy, if in this class, would have the highest grade of any quarterback, according to three [of them].”
Now, there’s a lot to unpack here. Would the Vikings be willing to trade the soon-to-be 22-year-old McCarthy? Would the Giants prefer him over Ward and Sanders or a different 2025 prospect after passing on him in 2024? And is one 2025 draft pick — somewhere from No. 4 through 8 — enough to land McCarthy let’s say he’s available?
We’ll attack this entire trade theory piece by piece.
Why Would the Vikings Trade J.J. McCarthy to the Giants?
The first question is by far the most important one, and that’s — is McCarthy even available?
As we know, Sam Darnold is in the midst of a career year in Minnesota. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that the Vikings would like to bring Darnold back next year, but they could simply franchise tag the journeyman signal-caller, keeping both him and McCarthy on the roster in order to spend more time evaluating both.
This feels like the most likely scenario at this time.
Having said that, one could argue that McCarthy’s trade value is at its highest in 2025. It’s thought to be a weak draft class at the position, there aren’t too many quality free agent starters available, the trade suitor would get four years of team control including a fifth-year option and there are several QB-needy teams like the Giants who could overpay for the allure of the former Michigan star.
If he were to return and lose the starting gig in a competition with Darnold, however, that could lower his trade value some. Potential suitors may have also moved on or found someone else by 2026, which could lessen his “demand.”
Finally, the last reason Minnesota might choose to trade McCarthy is a financial one. Franchise tags come fully guaranteed with a cap number as high as the salary — meaning a $40-plus million hit for Darnold.
Meanwhile an extension would come with a much lower cap hit, allowing the Vikings to better allocate money throughout the rest of the roster.
Would the Giants Want J.J. McCarthy After Passing on Him in 2024?
The Giants’ current regime did plenty of scouting work on McCarthy last spring. In the end, here is what we know about their opinion of him, based on “Hard Knocks” and the outcome of the draft:
- Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll appeared willing and motivated to trade up for Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye — and presumably, Caleb Williams — but not McCarthy.
- Big Blue also valued wide receiver Malik Nabers more than McCarthy, considering they selected him at No. 6 overall with the Michigan QB on the board.
That doesn’t mean the Giants wouldn’t be interested in McCarthy this year, having already locked up Nabers. But it does tell us that Schoen and Daboll weren’t in love with him as a prospect.
If they were, they would have pulled the trigger and drafted him in 2024.
Since then, McCarthy did impress during his lone preseason outing, completing 11-of-17 passing attempts for 188 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception.
Is 1 Top 10 Pick Enough to Acquire J.J. McCarthy From the Vikings?
The final question is his trade value, and there’s no real way to answer this one at the moment. Like with any situation, a player’s market — or value — is determined by their level of intrigue around the league.
If multiple franchises were interested in trading for McCarthy, for example, a bidding war could up the Vikings’ return to something greater than a top 10 pick.
Having said that, the No. 4 overall selection would certainly be appealing for a Super Bowl contender like Minnesota who is positioned at the back end of the draft. And even if the Giants beat the Eagles, you’d have to think No. 5, 6, 7 or 8 would still warrant consideration.
After all, the Vikings traded up to pick McCarthy at No. 10 overall in 2024, so anything lower than that could be seen as a return on investment despite his knee injury.
From a Giants perspective, trading one top 10 pick — or even a package of picks — feels like a no-brainer if they prefer McCarthy over Ward and Sanders. At this point, Big Blue will most likely have to trade up for Ward or Sanders anyway, meaning they’d surrender their 2025 first and then some.
Why not offer all of that up for McCarthy rather than an incoming rookie?
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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