CBS Sports NFL analyst and WFAN radio host Tiki Barber raised eyebrows when he said earlier this week that the New York Giants agreeing to a guaranteed one-year, $5M contract with backup quarterback Drew Lock indicated the club is “not gonna draft a quarterback” with a high first-round pick this spring.
Similar to others before him, Hughes linked the Giants with Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
The Giants reportedly are willing “to trade up to go get a quarterback in this year’s draft” because they seemingly will move on from 2023 Week 1 starter Daniel Jones next offseason. Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider said during a Thursday radio appearance that he was told by Lock that the 27-year-old could have a chance to compete with Jones for the New York starting job this summer, but Giants beat writer Paul Schwartz of the New York Post and Lock have since poured cold water over Schneider’s claim:
It was reported last month that the Giants may have to give the New England Patriots the sixth overall pick this year along with three second-round selections in a trade to move up to No. 3 in the draft order. However, Patriots beat writer Chris Mason of MassLive said in a mailbag published on Friday morning that he believes New England is “set on taking a quarterback at No. 3.”
The Chicago Bears are widely expected to make USC Trojans signal-caller Caleb Williams the draft’s first pick. Most think the Washington Commanders will select a quarterback at No. 2.
Assuming the Patriots take a quarterback at No. 3, multiple mock drafts shared this week predicted that the Minnesota Vikings will trade up from pick No. 11 to the fifth selection to potentially steal a signal-caller from the Giants. Additionally, Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports mocked McCarthy to the Patriots at No. 3 this past Tuesday.
In short, the Giants may not have a chance to get McCarthy if he’s truly who they want during this “smokescreen season” portion of March.
