Tiki Barber Hoping Giants Won't Draft JJ McCarthy: ‘I Don’t Want Him'

Tiki Barber is not impressed by JJ McCarthy. And even though the New York Giants could certainly use a quarterback, Barber is hoping his former club steers clear of the University of Michigan product.

"Not happening. I’m just saying. Not happening," Barber said Thursday. "I don’t want him. Not happening."

The Giants' current QB1, Daniel Jones, appeared in only six games in 2023 after his season was cut short by a torn ACL. Jones signed a four-year contract extension last off-season, but the injury and some disappointing performances have put his status as New York's long-term signal caller in question.

RELATED: JJ McCarthy Draft Floor Seemingly Set And It Could Be In the First Round

So the Giants could use the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 draft on a quarterback. Barring any wild surprises, USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye will likely be off the board by then.

Tiki Barber Suggests JJ McCarthy Is Overrated

Of course, the Giants don't have to select a quarterback in the first round, either. And Barber sounds like he'd much prefer they didn't — especially if it's McCarthy. According to the former All-Pro running back, McCarthy's skills won't translate to the NFL, and he's only getting attention because former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh hypes him up.

READ: Jim Harbaugh's Pick For Best Quarterback In The Draft May Or May Not Surprise You

"JJ McCarthy thing, I’m tired of hearing it. Stop with the JJ McCarthy thing," Barber said. "His film doesn’t say he’s a first-round quarterback. His film doesn’t say, ‘I need to get rid of all my assets and go draft this guy,’ because a lot of what he does doesn’t translate. The scheme that he ran at Michigan — and maybe this is an indictment on the scheme and not necessarily on him — but it didn’t highlight the things that you need to do, second-, third-level reads, multiple combo routes that you have to get correct. He didn’t do any of that stuff. They were run-based, and he thrived in it because he was good at — that’s what Jim Harbaugh wanted him to do.

"The J.J. McCarthy thing, to me, is a smokescreen. He’s getting inflated because Jim Harbaugh won’t stop talking about him. Now all of a sudden, he’s a top-four quarterback? I don’t buy it."

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

McCarthy threw for 2,291 yards and 22 touchdowns against only four interceptions en route to Michigan's National Championship last season.

And if, by some chance, the Giants do draft him, that first meeting with Tiki Barber is going to be awkward.

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