J.J. McCarthy shares insight on his meeting with New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are drafting third this year and everyone knows that they need a quarterback. One of those quarterbacks who are getting a close look from New England this cycle is J.J. McCarthy out of Michigan.

McCarthy and the Patriots met during the NFL Combine, which McCarthy has since shared some insight about.

“I have and they [their conversations] went amazing,” McCarthy said. “Coach [Jerod] Mayo, just an awesome guy, asking really great questions. You can definitely tell he’s been around this process a long time and been a part of it, and it’s just great interactions, again. It would be an honor to be a part of their organization.”

New England drafted a quarterback in the first round back in 2021 to be the new face of the franchise when the Patriots took Mac Jones. However, after three seasons, the Patriots offense faltered to being one of the worst in the country, culminating in legendary coach Bill Belichick and New England parting ways.

Now, Jerod Mayo has taken over in New England. This is going to be his first draft as a head coach and nailing that quarterback pick is going to be very important in what could be a franchise-shifting moment. However, with the third pick, New England likely won’t get its top pick at quarterback.

For his part, J.J. McCarthy has become one of the more interesting prospects. A two-year starter at Michigan, McCarthy led the Wolverines to a 28-1 record in 2022 and 2023. During that time, the Wolverines won the Big Ten twice and a national championship. During his three-year college career, McCarthy completed 67.6 percent of passes for 6,226 yards and 49 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.

In ESPN’s most recent two-round mock draft, J.J. McCarthy is set to be 11th overall by the Minnesota Vikings. The Patriots, meanwhile, are projected to take Jayden Daniels out of LSU.

Of course, the draft process is ongoing and there is still time for things to change, but the last time the Patriots drafted a quarterback out of Michigan, things worked out pretty well, with Tom Brady going on to be one of the greatest to ever play the game.

ESPN’s Matt Miller evaluates NFL Combine throwing of J.J. McCarthy

While J.J. McCarthy was impressive overall during the NFL Combine, particularly while meeting with teams, according to ESPN analyst Matt Miller, he could have been better throwing the ball. In the end, Miller described McCarthy’s workout as being uneven.

“You saw the throw to the right there looked beautiful, throwing to his left was a lot more uneven during the workout. He settled down nicely, calmed down and found his rhythm,” Miller said.

“They are throwing to unfamiliar targets, these wide receivers that they’ve not played with before. So, McCarthy has some room to grow I think at his Pro Day later this month. Could still be one of those top 10 picks once we get to the first round.”