The NFL draft is looming now only two months away, and Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been rising drastically with each week. McCarthy was thought to be a mid to late first round draft pick and the media and numerous analysts have just been getting higher and higher on the quarterback prospect. Now a new report has him going even as high as #2 in the draft.
NFL Report Says J.J. McCarthy May Go In The Top 3 Picks
McCarthy has been perhaps the most polarizing draft prospect this year with many saying he is not a first round pick and many saying he is a top 5 pick. It’s rare to have such drastic different prospectives on a quarterback coming from many notable NFL scouts.
According to Ben Standig of The Athletic, there are numerous “high-ranking evaluators” that have McCarthy going within the top 5 and even the top 2 picks of the 2024 NFL Draft. According to his report there is even a chance that he could be the number two pick after Caleb Williams.
“The 8-13 range (in the first round) seems high based on the public discourse with the reigning national championship quarterback,” Standig wrote. “Some team evaluators, including the one quoted above, go hard the other way. ‘J.J. is going to go higher than most people think. Right now, my guess is he’ll be in play at two or three.'”
Both the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots are definitely taking a quarterback and Standig thinks both of those teams will be looking heavily at McCarthy for their picks.
Other Analysts See J.J. McCarthy Going Late In The 1st Round
McCarthy was seen as a fringe prospect before this past college football season and winning the National Championship has propelled McCarthy. There are still many analysts that do not see him going that high in the first round, and think it is much more realistic to see him get drafted in the 22-29 range in the first round.
Every time the Draft comes around there are few players who shoot way up and some that take drastic falls. The hype that gets built up by the fans and the media can impact the decisions that NFL war room’s make. Either way, there has not been such a polarizing draft prospect like McCarthy in some time. It would be shocking to see him get drafted in the top 2 but he is really a guy that can go either way.
Related: Denver Broncos Gaining Major Interest In J.J. McCarthy