Mel Kiper Jr.: Drafting J.J. McCarthy in Top-10 would be ‘too high’

J.J. McCarthy is an interesting evaluation as a quarterback prospect in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. However, according to Mel Kiper Jr., considering the former Wolverine inside the first ten selections would be a mistake.

Kiper Jr. looked at the Atlanta Falcons’ options at No. 8 during ‘First Draft’ with Field Yates on Monday. With the franchise’s question mark at quarterback, one would think that McCarthy could be an option for them with the eighth pick. Still, in Kiper Jr.’s opinion, that’s simply too early for him to go as he’d either trade up and get one of the higher quarterbacks or just stick to a defensive selection.

“It’s always tempting. Like we said, are you going to reach for J.J. McCarthy? I’m not if I’m the Giants, I’m not if I’m Atlanta,” said Kiper Jr.

“Try to move up. If you can move up and get Caleb (Williams) or Jayden (Daniels) or Drake (Maye)? I would be aggressive, if I were Atlanta, to try and do that,” Kiper Jr. said. “If you’re sitting at eight and you cannot move up? I’m not taking J.J. McCarthy at eight. It’s too high for me.”

In the end, Kiper Jr.’s selection for Atlanta was Alabama’s Dallas Turner over someone like McCarthy out of Michigan.

Again, McCarthy continues to come up after those first three quarterbacks in Williams out of USC, Daniels out of LSU, and Maye out of North Carolina.

The young prospect just turned 21 last month after finishing his collegiate career in Ann Arbor. During the past two years as the starter for the maize and blue, he threw for just over 5,700 yards for 44 touchdowns and nine interceptions on a 68.5% completion rate. In those pair of campaigns, the team went 28-1 overall, won two Big Ten titles, and one national championship.

McCarthy is likely to be a first-round pick in April and could even boost his stock further by how he performs at the combine this week. It’s just that, regardless of all that, Kiper Jr. doesn’t see his value being worth a Top-10 selection considering some of the other options on the board.

Brady Quinn believes J.J. McCarthy will be a Top-10 pick

The quarterbacks could go six deep in the first round of the NFL Draft. One of the fastest risers among that group is former Michigan star J.J. McCarthy.

McCarthy could be the fourth quarterback off the board in the draft but still go among the first 10 selections. Brady Quinn, the former Notre Dame QB and a first rounder in 2007, is predicting an elite spot for McCarthy.

“To me, he’s going to end up being a Top-10 pick when it’s all said and done,” Quinn said on CBS HQ last week. “I think teams are going to love his ability to create and his ability to take off and run too.” 

No matter what the Wolverine offense focused on with him at quarterback, Quinn said that McCarthy’s skill set is still very much there.

“This is a team that’s really run the football incredibly well,” Quinn said. “He hasn’t had to necessarily dominate games. I’ll still go back to when he’s had to do it? He has showcased the ability to…He’s able to layer the ball, which is another thing you always hear talked about this time of year. The ability to get it over one defender but in front of the next or inside a tight window. He showcases all of that.”

“We just didn’t see it as much as we saw with a lot of other quarterbacks who threw the football more.”