Two years ago, the Giants had a chance to select a potential franchise quarterback in the top 10 of the NFL draft.
Instead of taking J.J. McCarthy, the Giants picked receiver Malik Nabers sixth overall before taking QB Jaxson Dart late in the first round.
But McCarthy, thanks to Dart’s season-ending knee injury, ended up in New York after all this fall. Chris Mara, the Giants’ senior vice president of player personnel and brother of team CEO John Mara, spoke exclusively with The Post’s Steve Serby this week and explained what’s changed about McCarthy since he entered the draft in 2024.
“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,” Mara said. “He showed the ability to win, the ability to lead. Seeing him three years later, this is a completely different-looking person for me.”
McCarthy was selected 10th overall by the Vikings and missed what would have been his entire rookie season due to injury. When he did return in 2025, he had a roller-coaster season, finishing with a 6-4 record but completing just 57.3 percent of his passes with 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
He fell to third-stringer duty behind newcomer Kyler Murray and veteran Carson Wentz this year, and after Dart’s injury, the Giants swooped in to get McCarthy for a fifth-round pick.
In just three games, McCarthy looks more like the quarterback who helped lead Michigan to a national title during the 2023-24 campaign. He’s upped his completion percentage to 63.3 and has a 95.2 passer rating, over 22 points higher than last year’s mark.
“On the field and off the field,” Mara said about how McCarthy has matured. “He’s a terrific guy, he’s matured, he’s married now, has a kid. I’m 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.”
McCarthy married longtime girlfriend Katya Kuropas in April. The couple welcomed their son, Rome, in September 2025.
His next big task is taking on the Eagles on Sunday in Philadelphia, a place where the Giants have not won since Oct. 27, 2013.
