Breaking: The Giants are involved in a crucial talk with 21 year old fast-rising QB prospect

Giants-quarterback connections are becoming a regular offseason occurrence this offseason. A year after giving Daniel Jones $81MM guaranteed, the Giants look to be considering a long-term replacement.

Buzz about Big Blue trading up for a quarterback in Round 1 or selecting one at No. 6 continues to surface, and while we are moving toward prime smokescreen season, the Giants are being tied to a fast-rising QB prospect. The Giants are believed to be interested in J.J. McCarthy, according to the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora.

Combine noise about the Giants and McCarthy being rather difficult to ignore, adding that the Giants should be classified as focused on adding a long-term Jones successor. Jones’ injuries look to be the bigger issue than the team’s confidence in him, Hughes adds. The 2019 No. 6 overall pick has sustained two neck injuries, including a 2021 season-ender that required surgery, and is now rehabbing the ACL tear. Jones also missed a 2020 game due to an ankle injury. Jones is expected to be ready for training camp; it could be his last as a Giant.

The Giants have gone about QB transitions in different ways. Jones took over for Eli Manning by Week 2 of the 2019 season, and Giants great retired after that season. Manning replaced Kerry Collins in 2004, with the incumbent being moved off the roster soon after the draft. The Giants signed Kurt Warner as the Manning bridge.

Jones’ contract would nix the Collins-to-Manning transition path, as he is due $36MM guaranteed this year. If the Giants are to add a rookie, that player would presumably begin the season behind Jones, who would then be set for an awkward farewell season. But the Giants can move on from their four-year, $160MM QB contract in 2025 rather easily, taking on only $11.1MM in dead money with a post-June 1 designation.

McCarthy has plenty of intrigued parties around the league, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who would not be surprised by the Michigan alum landing in the top 10. The Wolverines won the national championship with a then-20-year-old starter at the controls; McCarthy turned 21 earlier this year. Jim Harbaugh did not ask his QB to do too much, and he totaled just 2,991 passing yards in 15 games. But the 6-foot-2 passer showed accuracy improvement, vaulting to a 72.3% completion rate; his TD-INT ratios in two starter seasons: 22-5, 22-4.

Daniel Jeremiah’s NFL.com big board still places McCarthy outside the top 20, at 21st; ESPN.com’s big board places him 15th. Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye rank in the top five on each board. QB demand annually pushes prospects up the board, and if the Giants are indeed interested, they probably are not the only ones. The Raiders, Broncos and Vikings have been connected to trade-ups as well. Holding the No. 12 pick, Denver has done considerable work on McCarthy and Oregon’s Bo Nix. Minnesota and Las Vegas carry the Nos. 11 and 13 choices. The Giants have this lot outflanked at No. 6, and with the continued rumors about the team’s QB interest, their pick stands to be one of this draft’s pivotal points.