New York Giants’ senior vice president of player personnel Chris Mara has detailed the lingering questions that once kept the organization from selecting quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the 2024 NFL Draft.
In an exclusive interview with the New York Post, Mara explained that the Giants held McCarthy in high regard on the field yet hesitated because of concerns about his readiness for the professional game.
“We had him rated very high from a skill set. … We weren’t quite sure about the maturity level, but we loved his skill set. He showed the ability to win, the ability to lead,” Mara said.
Those reservations proved decisive. Rather than use the sixth overall pick on the Michigan product, the Giants selected wide receiver Malik Nabers.
McCarthy instead landed with the Minnesota Vikings at No. 10. Early struggles in Minnesota appeared to validate the Giants’ caution, as questions about his mental approach and consistency followed him into the league.
The situation shifted in late September 2026, when the Giants acquired McCarthy via trade. Since arriving in New York, the 23-year-old has begun to alter the impressions formed during the pre-draft process.
Mara now describes a noticeable transformation.
“He’s a completely different-looking person for me. On the field and off the field. He’s a terrific guy, he’s matured, he’s married now, has a kid,” he said.
The personal changes have coincided with on-field progress. McCarthy is 1-0 as a starter after a strong debut against the Houston Texans, and his physical tools have exceeded prior expectations.
Mara admitted he is “in awe when I watch him in practice. He’s got a much better arm than I thought he ever had. He moves around great. Listen, the arrow’s up on him, too.”
One early highlight came when McCarthy connected with Nabers for a 42-yard completion, a moment that linked the two players the Giants had evaluated together two years earlier.
The sequence offered a glimpse of the pairing that might have developed had the franchise committed to McCarthy in 2024.
At the time, general manager Joe Schoen and then-head coach Brian Daboll conducted extensive reviews of the quarterback.
The decision to pass ultimately left Daboll without a reliable signal-caller, contributing to his departure after a difficult stretch that included a trade up for Jaxson Dart in 2025.
Dart’s season-ending knee injury this year created an unexpected opening, allowing the Giants under new coach John Harbaugh to revisit McCarthy.
While the early returns have been encouraging, Mara’s comments also underscore that sustained evaluation remains ahead.
McCarthy has yet to navigate a prolonged stretch of adversity in New York, and the organization is still determining whether the growth visible in practice and in his personal life will translate into consistent results over a full season.
For now, the Giants appear willing to give the quarterback the chance they once withheld.
