Giants Trade for Maye, Vikings Take McCarthy in Lance Zierlein's 2024 NFL Mock Draft

Lance Zierlein of NFL Network projected back-to-back blockbuster trades in his newest 2024 NFL mock draft.

Zierlein had the New York Giants trading up to the No. 3 overall pick and taking North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye. The Minnesota Vikings likewise made an aggressive play to move up and get Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently reported the Washington Commanders haven't been "wowed" by the offers they've received for the No. 2 overall pick. The consensus seems to be the same with the New England Patriots in terms of their preference to stay put at No. 3.

Either way, Washington and New England are sitting pretty because both have a lot of leverage at the trade table.

In his mock, Zierlein wrote the Giants "probably have to pay more than the standard trade chart would indicate, since the supply side of the quarterback position is dwindling but the demand remains high."

Not only taking Maye but also sacrificing multiple picks of value to do so would signal the end of the Daniel Jones era in the Big Apple. When it comes to Jones, Giants head coach Brian Daboll is saying the right things for now, but the situation could look much different coming out of the draft.

The Vikings, meanwhile, could fall victim even more to the disparity between supply and the demand for quarterbacks that Zierlein referenced.

McCarthy is the No. 54 overall player on Bleacher Report's big board. Since he's widely considered the fourth-best signal-caller in the class, somebody will inevitably reach for him in the top 10. His draft stock is helped by the fact that there's perceived to be a sizable gap between him and the next-best QB, Oregon's Bo Nix (No. 81).

If the choices are paying a steep price to land McCarthy or settling for a prospect with a lower ceiling, it's not hard to see why the Vikings front office would opt to take a big swing.