At the start of draft season, there were three quarterbacks who were more or less locked in as first-round picks: Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels. Two others — Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix — were considered fringe candidates for Day 1. What no one saw coming has been the enormous rise from Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, who is starting to be consistently mocked into the top 10.
J.J. McCarthy to the Vikings? Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Jets?!@MoveTheSticks’s Mock Draft 3.0 is here: https://t.co/4hyAkvVsyz pic.twitter.com/53oNYlep1M
— NFL (@NFL) March 19, 2024
While it may have been unforeseen by the general public over the last few months, there is little doubt that NFL scouts and front offices have had McCarthy somewhere in that area, perhaps slowly pushing him up with more exposure and consensus opinion.
Goodness, J.J. McCarthy 👀 pic.twitter.com/h8UsEmDwWh
— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) March 17, 2024
McCarthy dazzled in his final season with Michigan, piloting the team to the national championship and putting plenty of NFL-level throws on tape. While Michigan wasn’t overly reliant on McCarthy, there is still plenty to fall in love with, especially in crucial moments when he was asked to rise to the occasion. Whether McCarthy does end up going in the top 10 will ultimately be decided on draft day.
