Over the past two and a half months, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy has had a stratospheric ascent from late first-round pick to possible top-four pick.
The 21-year-old signal caller’s draft position seems to be up for debate among scouts, but it’s becoming more and more obvious that the QB-needy teams in the top five have him ranked much higher on their draft boards than teams selecting outside of the top five. NFL analyst Michel Holley of NBC Sports Boston expressed this opinion.
According to Holley, there is growing talk that J.J. McCarthy holds a prominent position on the boards of the Washington Commanders and the New England Patriots, if not the top spot. “For both of those teams, he might be the quarterback.”
In most mock drafts, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has been the Washington Commanders’ unanimous choice at No. 2 overall, but McCarthy is starting to garner support as a potential dark horse option at that position.
McCarthy seems like a great fit for the New England Patriots at No. 3 overall if Daniels is, in fact, the second quarterback taken. Daniels and Drake Maye of North Carolina have both been connected to New England at different moments during the summer, but McCarthy might be a sleeper option for the rebuilding Patriots, who are in dire need of a franchise quarterback to build around.
Over the past few weeks, many scouts have grown disenchanted with Maye, and McCarthy seems to be the main beneficiary as his stock declines.
Holley went on, “I know I’ve dismissed it here; I’m going to have to dial that back.” “I’ve been informed that it’s not crazy to predict that McCarthy will place in the top five, and possibly even the top three, and that I might need to tone it down a little bit.”