Mel Kiper Jr. is the GOAT when it comes to the NFL Draft and he has a shocking new development when it comes to two of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class, Drake Maye (UNC) and J.J. McCarthy (Michigan).
Long before mock drafts and experts swarmed every corner of the internet, Kiper was the OG scouting college prospects and delivering his opinion on them so fans could get insight into what players may hear their names called at the top of the draft and others who may have been overly hyped but could fall when April rolls around.
Less than two weeks ago, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released his latest mock draft on Wednesday, standing firm on the thought that North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye will be selected No. 3 overall after USC‘s Caleb Williams and LSU‘s Jayden Daniels.
This would send Maye to the New England Patriots, and if that projection becomes a reality, Kiper challenges the franchise to do a better job with Maye compared to how they previously handed former first-round quarterback Mac Jones.
“They better do a better job of helping this kid,” Kiper said Wednesday on SportsCenter‘s NFL Draft Special. “They didn’t do it with Mac Jones after looking good early on, they forgot about him. The o-line, the receivers were not there, they better get the infrastructure around Drake Maye to allow him to not only have success early, but to have a consistent career. Which they did not do with Mac Jones.”
New England selected Jones with the No. 15 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, which was followed by an impressive rookie season where he was selected for the 2021 Pro Bowl after leading the Patriots to a 10-7 record behind 3,801 yards and 22 touchdown passes.
2021 would unfortunately represent the best season of Jones’ NFL career by far, with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels moving on to become the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. Sending the Patriots offense into complete disarray for the next two seasons
Jones would start 14 games in 2022 and 11 in 2023, sharing time under center with Bailey Zappe and throwing 24 touchdowns and 23 interceptions during a two-year stretch where the Pats would average just 17.6 points per game.
On the flip side, the Patriots’ lack of success has placed them in a premier position in this year’s draft. Now presented with a golden opportunity to select a new young quarterback and learn from their past mistakes and mismanagement of their previous first-round selection
That’s why for New England in a division with Josh Allen, and Tua [Tagovailoa], and Aaron Rodgers and the AFC with [Patrick] Mahomes and all those great quarterbacks you gotta get it right. You gotta have a strong conviction about Drake Maye, if they do, they take him at three and don’t look back,” Kiper said.
It will be intriguing to see if New England selects a quarterback with their No. 3 overall pick like most expect. But what may be even more fascinating is how the franchise decides to develop and properly set up their quarterback for success given their recent shortcomings in doing so.
Mel Kiper Jr. Says J.J. McCarthy Could Get Selected No. 3 As Drake Maye’s Stock Apparently Falls
It’s hard to distinguish truth from smokescreens this time of year when it comes to NFL Draft talk, but as April inches closer, it appears there may be a major shakeup when it comes to the top three quarterbacks taken.
For the last year, it has always been Caleb Williams and Drake Maye as 1A and 1B. Most have always believed the Bears would take Williams at No. 1 overall, but there was a time when there was speculation that Maye may be the better pro prospect and eventual first pick.
Now, according to Mel Kiper Jr., J.J. McCarthy could jump Maye and become the third QB selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Mel Kiper: “I talk this morning to people… all I hear is JJ McCarthy. Bottom line is: JJ McCarthy could overtake Drake Maye.”
— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) March 8, 2024
Around the same time of Kiper’s report, a separate report came out stating the New England Patriots would trade back if Jayden Daniels doesn’t fall to them at No. 3 overall.
This leaves a ton of speculation — but again — there could be hidden motives behind these narratives. It’s part of the NFL Draft strategy, after all.
J.J. McCarthy helped lead the Wolverines to an undefeated season and a national title last season, and he was impressive at the NFL Scouting Combine. That said, he’s largely been untested as a volume passer at the college level, and still appears to be a more developmental prospect who will require plenty of patience at the next level, compared to Maye.
There’s still about six weeks to go before the draft, and these kinds of narratives always go up to another level this time of year. While it’s possible that McCarthy could be the third quarterback off the board, don’t be surprised if conventional wisdom wins out, and Drake Maye is still selected before him.