With Super Bowl LVIII in the rearview, and the scouting combine less than two weeks away, it’s time to look at college prospects with a whole new eye. We will of course have more detailed scouting reports on these players as the process goes along, but here’s one thumbnail scouting report on Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
In his second season as the Wolverines’ starter, McCarthy was a big part of Michigan’s national championship journey. He completed 240 of 333 passes for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns, four interceptions, and a passer rating of 116.6. As a deep passer, McCarthy completed 25 passes of 20 or more air yards on 46 attempts for 706 yards, 10 touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 130.0. When pressured, McCarthy completed 52 of 82 passes for 780 yards, eight touchdowns, three interceptions, and a passer rating of 111.8. As a runner, McCarthy gained 340 yards and scored three touchdowns on 39 carries.
McCarthy’s tape doesn’t really blow you away, but he does just about everything well enough, and consistently enough, where you can see the path to a starting quarterback in the NFL. Given his success under Jim Harbaugh, you know that he understands pro concepts to an elevated degree. If you’re looking for a second-round game executive (H/T to Nate Tice of The Athletic for that term; it’s a great way to describe a plus-level game manager) in the Kirk Cousins mold, this could be your guy.
Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy
PLUSES
— Outstanding downfield ball placement
— Plus athlete who can win on designed runs
— Has the capacity to throw his receivers open
— Can work off-schedule to a pointMINUSES
— Too often late to diagnose and turn it loose; needs to speed up… pic.twitter.com/6zwKn2zQyj— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) February 17, 2024
