The New York Giants traded a 2027 fifth-round pick for quarterback J.J. McCarthy on Monday. The 2024 10th overall selection missed his rookie season due to a torn right meniscus. He also missed five games in 2025 with a high ankle sprain and one game with a concussion.
The 6-foot-3, 219-pound 23-year-old signal caller threw for 1,632 yards with a 57.6% completion rate last season. He threw 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, with a 7.3% big-time-throw rate and a 4.8% turnover-worthy play rate. The Vikings
dropped 17 of his passes, and he rushed for 181 yards with four touchdowns and six fumbles.
McCarthy was relegated to third string after the Vikings signed Kyler Murray and had Carson Wentz to the roster.
What McCarthy offers
McCarthy’s film was frustrating. There’s no denying his athletic ability and how his legs will be an asset in Matt Nagy’s scheme, but his mechanics, accuracy, and decision-making were maddening at times. McCarthy air-mailed several throws, threw awkwardly from clean pockets and made easy completions much harder than they had to be.
His accuracy issues, though, could be attributed to wild mechanics. However, he had several WOW-type plays throughout his bad season, and his throws – when his footwork was correct – had improved accuracy.
McCarthy showed impressive velocity throughout his tape. He ripped several far hash throws and there were plays where he navigated the pocket well and delivered good throws, while using his eyes well:
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The play above against the Giants is an elite pass to Justin Jefferson (18) against tight coverage. There was one place that the football could have been delivered to ensure that Jefferson caught the ball, and McCarthy delivered it. Below is another play-action rip that resulted in a touchdown:
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We see the heavy personnel, under-center, play-action use against Dallas. Plays like this – where McCarthy threw on the run off a bootleg – are plays that easily fit into what Nagy and Greg Roman will ask of McCarthy if/when he sees the field. I wish I could say, however, that McCarthy was generally accurate throwing on the run, but McCarthy had some very poor throws while on the move last season; we’ll see that later.
McCarthy had a dim flash of touch passes throughout his tape, which was an issue of his at Michigan. His passes were delivered on a line too often, making the catch more difficult for the receivers. But plays like this one below, where McCarthy used touch, did pop up every now and again, which was encouraging:
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McCarthy is comfortable throwing over the middle of the field. Of throws inside the numbers of 20-air yards or less, McCarthy finished 31 of 59 (53%) with a positive EPA. Again, he flashed high-level throws, carving through zone coverage while showcasing good arm talent, but these throws were coupled with good footwork; unfortunately, it wasn’t consistent throughout his tape, but here are some throws that highlight his ability to throw over the middle of the field:
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Off play-action, McCarthy rips a pass to T.J. Hockenson (87). Watch how McCarthy steps into the pocket with trust and just delivers the concept after hitching up. This was an exceptional play by McCarthy. McCarthy again looked poised against Dallas, throwing this seam ball to Hockenson against bailing middle-hook zone defenders:
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McCarthy hit the receiver in stride on third down against a trailing man defender, just in front of the safety:
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Here’s another successful play against the Giants off play-action where McCarthy pump fakes to displace the Giants before delivering a completion to Jordan Addison (3).
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McCarthy also had several high-level back-shoulder throws away from defensive leverage. The play against the Giants was very impressive, for it was a back-shoulder toward the middle of the field with Dexter Lawrence (97) in his face, while the other two come from completely clean pockets:
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McCarthy is a threat with his legs; he rushed for 894 yards through three seasons at Michigan, with an average of six yards per carry. He also averaged 3.07 yards after contact through college. He wasn’t used on a ton of designed rushes with Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings last year, but I expect that to change with the Giants. Here are a few quarterback scrambles that showcase his speed and movement skills:
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Then there’s McCarthy’s ability to throw on the run; there were some good one, like these…
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Reasons for concern
…Then there are plays with McCarthy on the move where he is wildly inaccurate:
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The mechanics and accuracy issues are married, and correctable, which is excellent for both McCarthy and the Giants, but it was certainly a problem in 2025 for the Vikings.
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McCarthy also used suspect decision-making through the 2025 season. There were several plays where it seemed like he negligently forced the issue:
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Final thoughts
The Giants acquired a talented young quarterback with tools that MUST be ironed out. McCarthy is mobile, has good velocity, and has made high-level throws at the NFL level, but WOW, did he make mistakes throughout his 2025 season. That said, I believe the Giants can leverage his tools; his mobility will be an asset and will be used more often in Roman’s rush scheme, but McCarthy’s lower-body mechanics and decision-making must improve. This trade is a new start for McCarthy, and it gives the Giants an interesting insurance option behind Winston. I get it.
