As we entered the preseason, the top three unanimous picks by the media for the drafts were Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye. However, the tides have changed now. The likes of JJ McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. have seen their stocks go high, especially the former. Known for his knack for winning and incredible composure and maturity, McCarthy seems tailor-fit to take on the expectations of the big league.
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Hence it’s no wonder that the Michigan QB has a lot of fans. Former Giants WR Victor Cruz is also one of them. In the recent edition of The Carton Show, Cruz first admitted that he is a huge fan of the QB. “He called himself JJ McCarthy guy” to express his love for the Michigan player. He then made a strong case why the Giants should sign him. Firstly, Cruz opined that signing a top prospect like JJ will help calm the fans who are upset after the exit of Saquon Barkley.
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Secondly, he argued that his previous experience with Coach Harbaugh would be a big plus for the Giants. But what if he fails to make an immediate impact after joining the Giants? Cruz said that even in such a case, it at least allows the Giants to look closely at him and evaluate his potential. However, Cruz isn’t worried as he trusts in Coach Harbaugh’s pool of college prodigies.
“When you look at the Giants offseason right, they lost Saquon Barkley, they’re losing the disdain of the fans out there and they need to make a splash. What bigger splash than to bring in a guy with toughness, from a great QB tree, a great quarterback coach that he played with in Harbaugh?”
“I am a J.J. McCarthy guy. I want them to bring in a guy like J.J. McCarthy. Even if it’s just playing possum, even if you’re just playing the game, bring him in, keep that hype up, get a good look at him, and see if he’s the guy that can come and be behind Daniel Jones. At least learn the game, learn what it is to be a pro. I mean look at Harbaugh’s lineage, Andrew Luck, Alex Smith, Colin Kaepernick during that Championship run.”
While the jury is open on whether the Giants should sign JJ McCarthy or not, it will certainly not be easy for them as there is a lot of interest in the QB.
Will JJ McCarthy Be a Higher Pick Than Drake Maye?
In 2023, McCarthy led the FBS by finishing a whopping 68% of his passes under pressure. It is stats like this alongside his mobility that has made his stocks see a meteoric rise. From barely making it to the top 10 picks of many pundits to now being in the top 3 of many, McCarthy has witnessed growth. As per CBS Sports’ latest mock draft predictions, McCarthy will easily break into the top 10 with some evaluators placing him as high as number 2 overall.
Analyst Kyle Stackpole predicted McCarthy to be drafted at number 2 by the Washington Commanders. Pete Prisco meanwhile had JJ going third to the New England Patriots. Analyst Chris Trapasso meanwhile predicted the QB to be picked at number 4 to the struggling Broncos via trade. Ryan Wilson of CBS surprisingly picked the Vikings (number 5 pick) as the destination for the signal caller.
All said and done, this is a welcome twist to the QB draft race. With Michael Penix Jr. also cropping in from behind, it will be interesting to see what the top three overall picks will be this draft.
