Latest mock draft has J.J. McCarthy pushing for top-10 consideration
The Michigan Wolverines could have a quarterback drafted in the first round in 2024 NFL Draft, which hasn’t happened since former Michigan QB/head coach Jim Harbaugh was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 26th overall pick in 1987. J
J.J. McCarthy has a chance to make that happen, and potentially go even higher if some mock draft scenarios come to pass.
The latest mock draft from USA Today has McCarthy heading to the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North, who could be in the market for a franchise quarterback post-Kirk Cousins with the No. 11 overall selection.
Nate Davis of USA Today writes:
“Will the Vikes re-sign Kirk Cousins, 35? Even if they do, wouldn’t it be wise to take a page from the division rival Pack’s playbook and get his successor into the building? McCarthy won big in college (27-1 record) while developing into an accurate passer who rarely made bad decisions, all traits that will make NFL evaluators take notice. Yet the 21-year-old, who was greatly assisted by the Wolverines’ defense and run game, could certainly benefit from apprenticing behind a pro like Cousins.“
In USA Today’s scenario, McCarthy was the fourth quarterback selected with USC’s Caleb Williams (No. 1, Chicago Bears), LSU’s Jayden Daniels (No. 2, Washington Commanders), North Carolina’s Drake Maye (No. 3, New England Patriots) ahead of him in the running. A fifth first-round quarterback came off the board right after McCarthy in Oregon’s Bo Nix, who was selected by the Denver Broncos.
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. He is currently the 57th-ranked player in the 2024 NFL Draft class on Pro Football Focus’ big board.
McCarthy could match or eclipse his former head coach, but could also fall somewhere into the second round. That would put him in the running to be selected somewhere close to Michigan’s second-highest quarterback selected since Harbaugh in Chad Henne, who went 57th overall to the Miami Dolphins in 2007.
Since then, Michigan has had only a single quarterback drafted. That designation went to Jake Rudock, who was a seventh-round selection of the Detroit Lions in 2016.
This year’s 2024 NFL Draft is just down the road from Ann Arbor in Detroit, Michigan. The event kicks off on April 23 with the first round, the second and third rounds on April 24 and the fourth through seventh rounds on April 25. Michigan is expected to send a heavy contingent of players from its College Football Playoff National Championship team to the next level.
