Louis Riddick defends J.J. McCarthy’s NFL upside with facts
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is an NFL Draft prospect on the ascent.
“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,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said earlier this week. “I’m just telling you that he may go top five.”
ESPN reporter Jeremy Fowler is also hearing McCarthy’s draft stock is rising.
“I still think teams are higher on Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy than a lot of people on the outside think,” Fowler said. “And I wouldn’t be surprised to see him picked in the top 10.”
McCarthy’s pro prospects are questioned by some, despite the fact that he ranks third in the country in total QBR (89.2), sixth in completion % (72.3), and ninth in passing efficiency (167.42). Louis Riddick used social media to refute McCarthy’s claims and provide a sobering reality check.
“You are reflecting on yourself and your incapacity or unwillingness to project future performance if the first thing out of your mouth when offering a ‘opinion’ on J.J. McCarthy is about him not being the focal point of their offensive approach at Michigan,” Riddick remarked. “You could see why so many in the NFL are so optimistic about his potential if you actually studied him.”
Riddick kept cooking from there. An Ohio State fan chimed in and told Riddick that McCarthy makes bad reads. Riddick’s response went straight to the X’s and O’s of the matter.
“He makes a lot of bad reads? Do you have their play calls/playbook? How would you know?” Riddick asked.
But wait, there’s more. The same Ohio State fan then claimed McCarthy is bad on the road. He must have missed Michigan’s 45-23 win over Ohio State in 2022 when McCarthy threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another. Riddick didn’t leave this fan off the hook here either and hit him with more facts.
McCarthy shouldn’t be a polarizing prospect. He was 27-1 as a starter and didn’t have to throw the ball 50 periods when Michigan’s defense—which has historically been excellent—often had sizable leads. The assessment ought to focus on McCarthy’s utilization of his opportunities. When the ball was placed in his hands, he was clutching it. For instance, McCarthy trailed Jayden Daniels (48.21) by a close margin but outperformed Drake Maye (39.29) and Caleb Williams (42.31) in the percentage of third-down throw attempts that converted in a first down (48.10).McCarthy was explosive last season on third and seven or more yards, finishing 36-of-49 for 544 yards with six touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a 47.5% first-down percentage, according to AP writer Josh Dubow.
Riddick gets it, we here at Maize n Brew get it, the NFL scouting community seems to get it — the rest is just noise. McCarthy is destined to be a top-five selection in the draft and have a long NFL career.
