Joel Klatt: JJ McCarthy has all the NFL Draft momentum, stock rising following combine

Many evaluators are tabbing Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy as one of the top performers in this year’s NFL Combine over the weekend.

As far as drills go, McCarthy only participated in the three-cone and the 20-yard shuttle, where he posted the fastest and second-fastest times among quarterbacks. But when it came to the throwing portion of the combine, McCarthy impressed with his passing ability as his name has now been rumored to have climbed up draft boards.

College football analyst Joel Klatt reacted to McCarthy’s showing in Indianapolis, giving his take on where he sees the national champion quarterback landing in the draft and playing at the next level.

“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,” Klatt said. “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.”

Most expect Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels to be the top three quarterbacks selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. But with none of them throwing at the NFL Combine, McCarthy’s strong showing may have placed him right below those passers leading the second tier of quarterback prospects.

And with several teams in need of a quarterback in this year’s draft, it will surely be interesting to see where McCarthy lands in April.

One of the challenges in evaluating McCarthy as an NFL prospect is the offensive scheme he played in for the Wolverines, a pro-style offense predicated on running the football that didn’t give McCarthy as many opportunities to showcase his abilities compared to other passers.

But after making several impressive throws at the combine over the weekend, Klatt believes that his play style will actually bode well at the next level and be attractive to teams in need of a quarterback.

“He plays a selfless brand of football, he’s incredibly incredibly athletic, the guy spins it, he makes plays, he’s a winner, and he doesn’t care who gets the credit. Every organization in the NFL is looking for players like that and in particular at that position,” Klatt explained. “So J.J did a nice job.”

This year’s draft class is loaded with talent at the quarterback position, making it extremely fascinating to see where McCarthy and others land when the 2024 NFL Draft kicks off on April 25 in Detroit.