Over the past few months, the consensus Top 3 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft have been Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye. Williams is projected to be the top pick, while it’s a battle between Daniels and Maye for the second and third selections. And so for the New England Patriots who are picking third, they have been widely expected to take one of the latter two.
However, a recent mock draft has the Patriots picking differently. They are still predicted to take a QB, but one that isn’t among the aforementioned top selections: JJ McCarthy.
New England Patriots Select … JJ McCarthy?
In the latest mock draft by Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports, he has McCarthy shooting up in the draft board and going as high as the no. 3 pick to the Patriots.
Prior to the NFL Scouting Combine, McCarthy was billed a mid or late first-round pick. After impressing scouts and several talent evaluators, however, many believe he’ll be taken higher. Sure enough, CBS Sports was impressed enough to put McCarthy so high.
Wilson shared that McCarthy has shown the same qualities that Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud displayed during the combine this time last year. And considering how that worked for Houston, McCarthy could follow suit.
“JJ McCarthy might be one of the most polarizing players in this class, and I’ll admit it, I was skeptical that he was worthy of a first-round pick. It’s not because he isn’t talented (his athleticism and arm strength are impressive), but because he wasn’t asked to do a lot in Michigan’s offense,” Wilson argued.
“But go back and watch his throws on third down and 6 to 10 yards to go: he completed 73% of his attempts — many of them NFL throws — with 5 touchdowns and no turnovers. We also talked to him at the combine and the charisma and leadership just ooze off him. And I get it, you might think that we got caught up in the moment, but I’ll just say this: last year when we spoke to C.J. Stroud at the combine, those very same qualities were blindingly obvious in person, and it certainly didn’t hurt his cause during a historic rookie season.”
This is certainly a major praise for McCarthy, and it speaks volumes of how well he did in the combine. Now it remains to be seen if the Patriots will actually use the third pick for him, but don’t be surprised if the Michigan Wolverines standout gets drafted early than what many previously projected.
New England Patriots Interested in Jayden Daniels
While it’s still unknown who the New England Patriots will pick, it’s worth noting that they have been heavily linked with LSU standout and Heisman winner Jayden Daniels.
Prior to Bill Belichick’s departure, the legendary head coach was reportedly targeting Daniels in the draft. And even after his exit, the Patriots have remained impressed with the youngster.
Several mock drafts have also linked the Patriots with Daniels, highlighting that the 23-year-old seems to be the perfect fit. Aside from his frame that needs a lot of work, there isn’t a lot of criticisms on his game. Daniels’ ball placement has even been praised highly by Dan Orlovsky.
Of course the bigger issue for the Patriots is if Daniels will land at no. 3. With the Washington Commanders picking at no. 2 and also looking for a quarterback, New England might not have a chance to take him.
But hey, as WIlson said, JJ McCarthy might be a good choice for Jerod Mayo and Co.
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