As Draft Day inches closer, JJ McCarthy‘s position as the first-rounder continues to get solidified despite the negative perceptions around his gameplay. And it seems a new team has entered into the conversation, as Peter Schrager predicts that it will be the Giants, who will be taking JJ in the draft by moving up.
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Rich Eisen hosted Schrager on the recent episode of Rich Eisen Show to dissect his newly created mock draft, and there was something that made his draft unique and different from others. While the first three picks seemed obvious, with Williams going to Chicago, the Commanders taking Daniels, and the Patriots drafting Drake Maye, it was his fourth overall pick that surprised Eisen.
For the fourth slot, Schrager sees the Giants trading up to 4th to draft JJ McCarthy by giving up their 6th and a few more picks to the Cardinals, who happily move down and still get to draft an excellent receiver in Rome Odunze. If Michigan’s National Champion does get picked by Big Blue, it will be an interesting situation as the Giants still have Daniel Jones in their books and they recently signed another QB in Drew Lock from Seattle. Schrager sees this situation playing out similar to Russell Wilson’s 1st year with the Seahawks.
Wilson was picked in the third round in 2012, and the Seahawks faced a lot of flak for drafting another QB to their roster when they had just signed Matt Flynn in free agency on a big $20 million contract. They also had Tarvaris Jackson. However, after impressing in camp and pre-season, Wilson secured the starting role and started every game despite being a rookie. In the Giants’ case, with three young QBs competing for that elusive QB1 spot, JJ will surely get his shot if drafted that high.
“I remember being in Seattle for training camp in 2011, where it was late Travaris Jackson and Matt Flynn had just signed a major deal. And it was just like, well, Russell Wilson is the best QB in camp; he’s going to start week one and everyone was like we can’t deny that,” Peter Schrager said. “It’s one of those deals where you let them all compete. Obviously, it’s Jones’s job to lose, but at some point, McCarthy is going to get a look if they draft him 4th overall.”
Schrager believes the Giants will draft JJ to earn his spot in the center. Since he would get picked so high in the draft, it is only optimal for the team to give him a chance. But the Giants just paid their former 6th overall pick a $160 million contract. So, should McCarthy start solely based on his college numbers?
Daniel Jones vs. Drew Lock vs. JJ McCarthy
After spending a four-year-long stint with the Duke Blue Devils, Daniel Jones was drafted 6th overall in 2019. As per Sports Reference, Daniel threw for 8201 yards along with 52 touchdowns in the three seasons he played with the program. In just 36 games, the star prospect rushed for 1323 yards, adding another 17 touchdowns on the ground, positioning himself as a mobile dual-threat QB.
When it comes to Drew Lock; he was drafted by the Broncos as the 42nd overall pick in 2019. Before that, he had a stellar college career with the Missouri Tigers. Drafted as a four-star recruit, Lock became a starter in his first season at Mizzou. In the next three seasons, he consistently passed for over 3000 yards, ending his college career with 12,193 yards and an astonishing 99 touchdowns. However, he did throw 39 interceptions. His highlight year was 2017 when he threw for 3,964 yards and 44 touchdowns.
Last but not least, McCarthy, a top 5-star recruit, has played only 3 seasons of college football at Michigan, out of which, he spent an entire season as a backup. Even though he has started 28 games and has a 27-1 record, several analysts and experts still feel that he hasn’t done enough to earn a spot in the first round. As per Sports Reference, across 40 games, which include 28 starts, he has thrown for 6226 yards on 482 successful pass attempts. He also has 49 TDs and just 11 picks, ending his college stint with a Natty.
If college stats are any indication, Drew Lock should be starting next season if we base everything solely on passing yards and passes attempted. But Jones provides a dual-threat element. Both Lock and Jones passed the ball a lot more than McCarthy. They did, however, throw a lot of picks. JJ’s lack of interceptions and fewer passing attempts show his willingness to not overthrow the ball. He didn’t turn the ball over and did what was asked of him. Michigan ran the ball and their QB played as per the system. He did, however, have a lot of 3rd and 4th down conversions.
Still only 21, JJ McCarthy has a lot of upsides and still has a lot to learn. While Daniel Jones may not be the ideal man to learn from, he and Lock have been around many coaches and have pro experience, something that gives an advantage to any QB. Even though Jones has shown, he is not their future, keeping him for another season, while drafting JJ at 4th won’t be such a bad thing.
They can provide him with enough weapons to be successful in the upcoming season and then move on from him after that. This will also raise Jones’s stock and Big Blue might get better compensation for him. McCarthy gets a year to grow and learn like Brady, Mahomes, Rodgers, Love, and others, who all sat for a season or more before being inserted as a starter.
