An NFL executive had a rather strong reaction to the New York Giants' price for J.J. McCarthy.
The New York Giants traded a fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for quarterback J.J. McCarthy on Monday, leaving the Giants with just four draft picks heading into next spring.
So was it worth it? Did the Giants do right by moving a relatively high Day 3 selection in exchange for McCarthy, who may not have a long-term future in New York?
Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports spoke with NFL executives regarding the Giants trade, and one exec seems to believe that New York's price was more than fair, if not a bargain.
"Fifth [-round draft pick] it's easy," the executive said. "How many top-10 picks can you get in Year 3 for a fifth?"
That's a good point, but it should be noted that McCarthy missed his entire rookie campaign in 2024 due to a knee injury. He was then limited by ankle issues (as well as a concussion) last year and finished with 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing just 57.6 percent of his passes over 10 starts.
The Vikings then went out and acquired Kyler Murray during the offseason and handed him the starting job early in camp. Carson Wentz was named the primary backup, leaving McCarthy in no-man's land.
It was clear that Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell wanted no part of McCarthy, which was why the Vikings traded the former first-round pick as soon as they could.
The Giants did scout McCarthy heavily back in 2024 after he won a national championship at Michigan. That draft class was loaded with quarterbacks, with five going in the top 10. McCarthy was the last of that bunch at No. 10.
New York opted to take wide receiver Malik Nabers instead, choosing to roll with Daniel Jones for one more season. The Giants then nabbed Jaxson Dart with the 25th overall pick the following year.
McCarthy does bring some versatility to the table. Like Dart, he is athletic, so he can more properly run New York's offensive scheme than Jameis Winston, who is currently the Giants' starting signal-caller until further notice.
The general consensus is that McCarthy will replace Winston at some point, especially considering how rough Winston has looked since relieving Dart, who went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 2.
McCarthy is just 23 years old and is under team control through 2028 with a club option for that last season.
