Tiki Barber, the former New York Giants running back who currently hosts a sports talk radio show on WFAN, was direct and outspoken when expressing his thoughts on the potential of the Giants choosing Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy in the upcoming first round of the draft.
“Barber unequivocally expressed his opposition, stating, ‘It’s not happening. I don’t want him.’ Despite his personal reservations, the Giants’ rushing yards record holder raised concerns about McCarthy’s game film, which, in his opinion, fails to justify the first-round hype surrounding the quarterback.
Barber implored, ‘His film doesn’t indicate that he’s a first-round quarterback. It doesn’t scream, ‘Invest all your assets and draft this guy,’ as much of what he does doesn’t translate.’ He attributed this to the run-based system employed at Michigan, suggesting that McCarthy’s success was a result of former head coach Jim Harbaugh’s preferences. Barber dismissed the notion of McCarthy as a top-tier quarterback, attributing his inflated reputation to Harbaugh’s praise and skepticism towards the quarterback’s capabilities.
On the other hand, Giants’ general manager Joe Schoen has remained guarded about his draft plans, particularly regarding the quarterback position. He emphasized that the expectation is for Daniel Jones, the incumbent, to start once he recovers from a torn ACL. Schoen even suggested that he would be comfortable entering the 2024 season with the three quarterbacks currently on the roster—Jones, Drew Lock, and Tommy DeVito.
Schoen reaffirmed his confidence in Jones, stating, ‘When you review the 2022 season or his overall performance in 2022, he was a 25-year-old player who performed at a high level, winning 10 games and a playoff game. I still have faith in Daniel, his mindset, and what he demonstrated in 2022. Despite the unfavorable start to last season due to injuries and other factors, I maintain a high level of confidence in Daniel.’
However, given the deep pool of talented quarterbacks in this year’s class, it would come as a major surprise if the Giants didn’t tap into it, particularly considering Jones’s injury history. As long as the selection isn’t McCarthy, it can be assumed that Barber will support the decision.”
