Giants trade up for controversial quarterback in NFL insider Peter Schrager’s mock draft

The New York Giants are firmly in the quarterback market as they hold the No. 6 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Despite holding such a high pick, the Giants might need to trade up to a higher spot in the draft order to land their desired quarterback prospect.

NFL insider predicts that the Giants will trade up for Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy

Fox Sports NFL insider Peter Schrager released his first mock draft of the offseason on Tuesday morning and had the Giants making a bold move. In Schrager’s mock, the Giants traded up to the No. 4 overall pick in the draft to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Schrager is considered to be one of the most plugged-in writers covering the league today. He published this article after spending “weeks on the phones with GMs and HCs.” After speaking with those in the league, he predicted the Giants would trade up for McCarthy:

New York moves up two spots — tossing Arizona this year’s third-round pick (No. 70 overall) and next year’s second-rounder — to land McCarthy,” Schrager wrote. “This is merely a mock draft, but I could see this deal coming to fruition. Joe Schoen didn’t draft Daniel Jones, J.J. checks a lot of boxes, and Big Blue can get out of Jones’ contract after this upcoming season. I assume that this projection could make headlines in New York. That’s fine. I know the Giants have been going through all of the quarterback prospects diligently, as they should be.”

Could the Giants really trade up for a QB?

Rumors of the Giants trading up for a quarterback have swirled throughout the offseason. NFL Network’s Rich Eisen shared that New York was inquiring about potential trades up the draft order during the NFL Scouting Combine. Since then, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has reported that the Giants “have inquired” with teams about trading up.

Numerous reporters have corroborated such claims. Reports indicate that New York’s interest in trading up for a top quarterback prospect is legitimate. But which quarterback prospect could the G-Men have their sights set on?

Ryan Dunleavy of The New York Post recently shared that his “sourced belief” is that the Giants are targeting McCarthy in the first round. SNY’s Connor Hughes also reported that the “buzz” indicates McCarthy is the “player they want.”

Trading up for McCarthy would be a controversial move

Trading for McCarthy would no doubt be a controversial move. While some scouts and analysts view him as a top-10 pick, many still don’t buy into the hype and believe McCarthy is a day-two prospect who will be drafted much higher than he deserves.

In 2023, McCarthy led Michigan to a National Championship victory after throwing for 2,991 and 22 touchdowns with only four picks and a 72.3% completion rate. He also added 202 yards and three touchdowns rushing.

McCarthy is the consensus No. 4 quarterback in this year’s draft class. He is 21 years old and has the tools and traits to be something special at the next level, but he led a Michigan offense with an elite rushing attack that rarely asked him to throw the ball in big moments. This could make him a project at the next level. But considering Giants head coach Brian Daboll’s success with developing quarterbacks, it could be a worthwhile project for New York to take on.