When the New York Giants sent a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings last month for 23-year-old quarterback J.J. McCarthy, many fans and pundits panned the deal. The Giants overpaid, they claimed.

A month has passed, and so has that knee-jerk sentiment. McCarthy, the 10th overall selection in the 2024 NFL draft out of Michigan who wore out his welcome in Minnesota, has burst onto the scene here with Big Blue.

McCarthy has looked more like the college hero he was in Ann Arbor than the uncoachable ingrate Minnesota labeled him. The football world has taken notice. Veteran NFL coach Vic Fangio, currently the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Giants' opponent this Sunday, believes New York got a "steal" of a deal on McCarthy.

Fangio called that move a “steal” on Tuesday, a few days removed from McCarthy leading the Giants to a 27-21 overtime win against the Houston Texans in which he completed 20 of 28 passes for 252 yards. 

Fangio also complimented New York’s offense as a whole, which has been competent under head coach John Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy — and with wide receiver Malik Nabers and tailback Cam Skattebo healthy. 

“They’ve got skill at the receiver position. They did a nice job raiding the Ravens, not just for John (Harbaugh) but for (tight end Isaiah) Likely and (fullback Patrick) Ricard. They’ve got a lot of the Ravens-type offense that they had when Greg Roman was there. And they’ve inter-mixed Kansas City-type passing with Matt,” Fangio said.

“They’ve got it going right now. They’ve got good wideouts, good tight ends, two good backs. And the quarterback has come in, in a short period of time, and really done a nice job. For them, to get him for a sixth-round pick is a steal.”

The pick was a fifth-rounder, but the Giants still appear to have gotten the better of the deal. McCarthy was the player the Giants identified as the best fit to fill the shoes of Jaxson Dart, who was lost for the season in Week 2 to a knee injury.

The Vikings' willingness to part with McCarthy is now shaping the NFC playoff picture. He has rejuvenated the Giants' offense under coordinator Matt Nagy. They are currently holding a two-game lead in the NFC East with a 4-2-1 record.

Minnesota is also in first place. They lead Chicago by a half-game, with Detroit and Green Bay right behind them with winning records, but they now face quarterback issues as Kyler Murray is dealing with a hamstring injury.