Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy had a stellar career at Michigan and his chances of having success in the NFL appear to be high as well.
McCarthy had a 27-1 record as a starter, a career completion percentage of 68 with 6,226 yards passing, 49 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions along with 632 rushing yards and 10 rushing scores.
McCarthy’s draft stock is on the rise after a great showing at the NFL Scouting Combine on Saturday. At this point it’s not a question of if McCarthy will be a first-round selection or even a top-10 selection — the question is he a top-six pick? The answer is yes.
The Basics
- Height: 6’ 2 1/2”
- Weight: 219
- Age: 21
- 3-Cone Drill: 6.82 seconds
- 20-Yd Shuttle: 4.23 seconds
McCarthy’s strengths
- A great leader with a positive attitude. Anyone who has met McCarthy or has been around him any length of time realizes he’s a rare breed of human. He has a naturally infectious energy, but not only that, he’s a gamer who loves football and will do whatever it takes to win.
- Top-tier arm talent. McCarthy may have not been asked to push the ball down the field in abundance at Michigan, but he can sling it deep and throw to any quadrant of the field with power or touch.
- A winner through and through. McCarthy was 36-2 in high school as a starter and won a national championship with IMG Academy in 2020. Then he went 27-1 at Michigan as a starter and won a national championship in 2023.
- Tougher, taller, stronger than perceived. McCarthy continues to add muscle to his frame and looked as strong as any quarterback at the combine.
- McCarthy has great speed for a QB. McCarthy’s 3-Cone Drill time of 6.82 was tied for sixth-best at the combine and the best time for a QB.
- McCarthy is known to watch a lot of film and his football IQ increased every season he was at Michigan. During the 2023 campaign, McCarthy was trusted to call protections and check in and out of plays at the line depending on what he saw from the defense.
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Conclusion
While there was a perception heading into the combine that the likes of Caleb Williams (USC), Jayden Daniels (LSU), and Drake Maye (North Carolina) all were ahead of McCarthy in the draft pecking order, that doesn’t seem to be the case now. NFL teams understand that McCarthy wasn’t asked to throw the ball 50 times per game, they realize Michigan usually had substantial leads and for the first portion of the season McCarthy wasn’t even playing once the fourth quarter rolled around. Players like Williams, Daniels, and Maye all were on inferior teams with lackluster defenses and had to win high-scoring affairs. It’s fair to say McCarthy could have put up the same kind of numbers if he was on a team like USC or LSU.
McCarthy comes from a pro-style offense and the tutelage of Jim Harbaugh. Those things matter and indicate he may be more NFL-ready than anyone else in the 2024 draft class despite starting less than 30 collegiate games and being just 21 years old.
There have been lazy narratives conjured up by draft ‘experts’ who don’t do their homework. Anyone who watches McCarthy’s film knows he’s someone who gets the job done in crunch time, excels on third down, and is far more than a game manager. McCarthy has the potential to be an electric player in the NFL. Scouts realize this and we’ll soon see the media do a 180 on their analysis and say McCarthy is the real deal. McCarthy could be the best quarterback in this draft class, which is why Maize n Brew thinks he’s a lock to be drafted within the top six picks of the draft, maybe even the top three.
