Giants trade up for QB J.J. McCarthy in latest Chad Reuter mock draft

With under a week remaining until the 2024 NFL draft, it’s unclear what the New York Giants intend to do with the No. 6 overall pick.

General manager Joe Schoen has kept his cards close to the vest and has expertly avoided tipping his hand. Any and all projections are little more than a wild guess and they range widely.

In the latest mock draft from NFL Network’s Chad Reuter, he throws a wild scenario at the wall and predicts the Giants will trade up to No. 4 and select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy after the top three QB prospects went off the board 1-2-3.

The Daniel Jones Era could be coming to a close in New York. Remember, he wasn’t this administration’s pick, and the Giants signed Drew Lock in March to the sort of deal a team often gives a veteran before selecting a first-round quarterback. McCarthy wasn’t required to throw the ball 40 times per game at Michigan thanks to the team’s effective ground game, but he showed himself capable of threading passes into tight windows, moving effectively within the pocket and running for big gains when given the chance. The Giants trade a second-round pick this year and next (while possibly receiving a 2024 Day 3 selection in return) to jump up two slots, out-offering other potential suitors looking to leap into the Cardinals’ spot.

There are a few faults in Reuter’s thought process here. First and foremost, the cost to move up two spots for a quarterback is unrealistically low, which is something Schoen alluded to during his pre-draft press conference earlier this week.

Schoen noted that if teams know you’re trading up for a quarterback — especially if there is competition — there’s an added tax on the trade. A pick swap and two second-round picks are unlikely to get it done.

The other problem in Reuter’s is that Jones wasn’t this regime’s pick. And while that’s technically true — Dave Gettleman selected Jones — it was Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll who opted, without ownership influence, to sign Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract.

If McCarthy falls to the Giants at No. 6, maybe they take him. But it’s hard to imagine Schoen gives up draft assets for QB4.