Analyst calls J.J. McCarthy 'most NFL ready' quarterback in 2024 draft
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy will headline the Michigan Wolverines‘ 2024 NFL Draft output as the program potentially sets a record for players selected in a single year. His stock continues to explode leading up to the event, but he is not without his question marks.
Most evaluators cite a lack of throwing production relative to his peers as a way to show he may not be NFL-ready. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky believes that the offense he played in at Michigan may actually benefit him when it comes to his ability to operate at the next level.
“The reason why I do think McCarthy is equipped, skillset, to go in and play at a consistent level is 1. The difference between college and the NFL as a quarterback is you go into college, everybody’s around the same age and everybody has basically the same daily experience,” Orlovsky said on First Take. “You go into the NFL, and you go from 21 years old to 35 years old. And not everybody has the same daily experience.
“So you better be capable and ready to walk in as an adult in the room. I think J.J.’s experience at the Michigan program allows him to do that. “he second thing is, you have to have an alpha personality to control that locker room and to lead that locker room. I think being around coach Harbaugh gives him the opportunity to do that.
“No quarterback in this year’s draft had more control of the line of scrimmage when it comes to run-game stuff, getting in and out of the checks. That’s a huge part of the NFL game, and it’s different than college football. What guy gets us into the right run play or out of a bad run play? J.J. McCarthy was part of a huddle. We see huddles in the NFL way more prevalent than we do in college football.
“J.J. McCarthy was under center way more than most guys in this draft. That’s a bigger part of the NFL now a days than it was a couple of years ago. Play-action pass, J.J. McCarthy ran a ton of it at Michigan. So there’s a lot of elements that I think allows him to step in and play at a good level. That doesn’t mean that I think him is going to be the best, and that’s the task – find the best guy, not the guy that’s most NFL-ready.”
Still, some can’t wrap their heads around the idea that a quarterback from a fun-first team with a dominant defense could possibly outperform expectations at the NFL level. Draft analyst and NFL Network voice Daniel Jeremiah told Joel Klatt their job as evaluators is not to grade based on what came in the past, but with a trait-based approach that could be predictive of the future.
“Our job isn’t just to evaluate performance,” Jeremiah said. “Our job is projection. If it wasn’t, we could print out the stat sheet and grab the guy with the most touchdown passes and whoever had the most sacks. With McCarthy, you look at him and say, ‘He’s got a live arm, he’s incredibly smart, he’s tough, he’s athletic, he can move around.’ … A lot of the things he has in his toolbox translate well to the NFL.”
McCarthy, who was 27-1 as a starter at Michigan, threw for 2,991 yards with 22 touchdowns and 4 interceptions this season for the Maize and Blue, completing 240-of-332 (72.3%) of his passes. This season culminated in a 15-0 record and the College Football Playoff National Championship.
The 2024 NFL Draft is set for Detroit, Michigan from April 25-27 with the first round on Thursday night, the second and third rounds on Friday and the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday.
