When the New York Giants picked sixth in the 2024 NFL Draft, not everyone was sold on drafting wide receiver Malik Nabers. A select conglomerate of Giants fans wanted to see Big Blue address the quarterback in 2024, many of whom wanted to see Michigan man J.J. McCarthy serve as Daniel Jones' successor.
Instead, general manager Joe Schoen drafted the clear best player available in Nabers, which has resulted in a rousing success. Meanwhile, McCarthy slid four more picks, where the Minnesota Vikings traded up one spot to draft him, and that decision has yet to provide the sort of return on investment fans anticipated.
He missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus, so 2025 has served as the first real starting experience of the 22-year-old's young career. However, things have gone far from according to plan, as McCarthy has thrown 10 interceptions in just six starts this season after the Vikings were trounced by the Packers in Week 12.
J.J. McCarthy is making the Giants look like geniuses for passing on him
The decision to pass on McCarthy didn't only help the G-Men land Nabers, it saw them trade up for Jaxson Dart in 2025, who has taken the league by storm as a rookie. Despite the Giants sitting at 2-10, Dart is one of the favorites to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year as his seven rushing touchdowns rank third among all signal-callers.
Meanwhile, the 2023 National Champion has thrown six interceptions across his last three starts, and his struggles only continued on Sunday. Minnesota's 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers saw the youngster throw for just 87 passing yards, while also throwing two ugly interceptions.
Moreover, McCarthy ranks 851st among 852 qualified quarterbacks in EPA per dropback since 2000:
J.J. McCarthy now ranks 851 out of 852 in EPA per Dropback among qualified passers since 2000, per Tru Media. The only player below McCarthy is JaMarcus Russell.
— Anthony Amico (@amicsta) November 24, 2025
h/t @Danny_Heifetz on that other website
Only JaMarcus Russell is behind him. That's truly terrible. Russell is heralded as one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history, so the 22-year-old native joining him in some disastrous company is making Schoen look fantastic for passing on him.
The 2024 first-round pick's 57.9 passer rating ranks second-to-last among all qualified quarterbacks, as only Shedeur Sanders' passer rating is worse. That all but confirms the Giants dodged another massive bullet in their quest to find their franchise quarterback, which should have fans resting easy.
What's making things even worse is the fact that McCarthy is equipped with an elite situation and is still struggling. Yes, it's early in his career, but being in the company of a generational draft bust while throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson is a disheartening development.
Not only is he struggling in a fantastic situation in Minnesota, the Vikings moved on from two MVP candidates in Jones and Sam Darnold to see what McCarthy was capable of, and right now he's making them regret that, while the Giants' future looks brighter than it has in years.