Is J.J. McCarthy a top-six selection? We think so and explain why.
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.
Highlights from @UMichFootball QB @jjmccarthy09’s throwing session at the #NFLCombine! pic.twitter.com/Afq5B3NQx3
— NFL (@NFL) March 3, 2024
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.
Do Your Homework
Can McCarthy make magic happen when a play breaks down?
The one-handed catch.
The spin.
The absolute DIME 30 yards down the field to Roman Wilson.
All with Dallas Turner bearing down.J.J. McCarthy pulls off one of the better individual efforts you’ll ever see. pic.twitter.com/dfirVIkrB9
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) January 1, 2024
Can McCarthy throw balls into tight windows with precision?
TOUCHDOWN ROMAN WILSON.
Ruled a TD, do you agree? pic.twitter.com/ajcLU1glDX
— College Football Alerts (@CFBAlerts_) November 25, 2023
Can McCarthy make plays happen with his legs?
Guarantee: This will not be the last time you see this J.J. McCarthy run to get the 1st down. @jjmccarthy09 x @UMichFootball pic.twitter.com/fjpJLFmghe
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 24, 2022
Can McCarthy throw on the run?
J.J. McCarthy to Donovan Edwards! Touchdown Michigan, 20-0 with 7:51 left in the 3rd Quarter. #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/ptiPxxlTEV
— Woodward Sports Network (@woodwardsports) October 1, 2022
Can McCarthy take a big hit and get back up?
J.J. McCarthy said this hit pissed him off and set a different trajectory for the rest of the game. pic.twitter.com/kzltMcgx7V
— Trevor Woods (@WoodsFootball) November 9, 2022
What experts are saying
It seems like NFL scouts and teams are falling in love with McCarthy the more they study him and get to know him.
Louis Riddick (ESPN)
“I’ll go so much as to say this, just off camera, talking to some personnel people, they think J.J. McCarthy’s going top five. I’m just telling you that he may go top five.”
Joel Klatt (Fox Sports)
“J.J. McCarthy is going to be a really good NFL quarterback, okay? Those of you that want to be a hater of JJ McCarthy, that’s fine. I’m gonna be pretty surprised if he’s not drafted in the first 15 picks, I might be surprised if he’s not taken in the top 10. That’s the type of momentum he’s generating.”
Peter Schrager (NFL Network)
“He went out there, competed, and threw the ball very, very well. I got a text from an NFL evaluator, very respected one saying, ‘Of all these guys, McCarthy translates to the NFL the most.’ He had an outstanding day out here.”
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 understand that Michigan typically had sizable leads and that McCarthy wasn’t even playing when the fourth quarter rolled around for the majority of the season. Players like Williams, Daniels, and Maye had to win high-scoring games while playing for weaker teams with subpar defenses. McCarthy probably could have produced similar results if he had been a member of LSU or USC.
McCarthy was trained under Jim Harbaugh and comes from a pro-style scheme. Even though he is only 21 years old and has only started less than 30 NCAA games, those factors matter and suggest he might be more NFL-ready than anybody else in the 2024 selection class.
There have been sloppily constructed stories created by unpaid “experts” in draft form. Watching McCarthy’s film makes it clear that he is much more than just a game manager; he is a man who performs well under pressure and on third down. McCarthy may be a dynamic player in the National Football League. Scouts are aware of this, and the media will soon reverse course and declare McCarthy to be the real deal. McCarthy may be the best quarterback available in this draft class, which is why Maize n Brew believes he will be selected in the top six or maybe the first three picks.