There’s merit to the J.J. McCarthy craze.
The national champion also piques the serious interest of the Washington Commanders.
Washington will travel to Ann Arbor to dine and drink with McCarthy the evening before his Pro Day on March 22, according to Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
Sources to @BleacherReport: Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy visited the #Giants last week, which included dinner with the front office and a tour of the facility.
The #Commanders are flying out to Ann Arbor to have dinner Thursday night with McCarthy the night before his Pro Day, per… pic.twitter.com/7PJv4Z4x2z
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 19, 2024
The best quarterbacks in a very strong and deep class are Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and McCarthy, giving the Commanders their pick of the bunch aside from Caleb Williams. This is undoubtedly Adam Peters and Dan Quinn visiting a Pro Day full of talent while also conducting their due diligence. But, it’s a commendable investment that demonstrates their desire in doing more than just striking up a conversation with McCarthy.
Recently, McCarthy’s draft ranking has increased rapidly as more teams become enamored with his clutch factor and intangibles. Though the Purdy example is a slippery slope, but I digress, there are physical limitations to his game, and as we’ve seen with Brock Purdy, it doesn’t really matter as long as the system fits a QB’s skills.
In order to cover various roster gaps, Washington made a number of significant changes in free agency. Marcus Mariota, a seasoned quarterback and former second overall pick, was even signed by the team to a $6 million, one-year contract. However, none of the selections—particularly the Mariota trade—will prevent the franchise from selecting a quarterback with the second overall pick. Actually, if the team selected no quarterback after dealing Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks, it would come as an objective shock.
McCarthy is obviously an option. And before long, we will learn what transpires.