Mel Kiper Jr. says JJ McCarthy has 'Josh Allen mentality'

JJ McCarthy earned some high praise from ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. on Wednesday. Kiper projected the former Michigan quarterback to go No. 12 overall to the Denver Broncos in his latest mock draft, comparing him to a current superstar in the league.

Speaking on SportsCenter, the ESPN analyst said McCarthy has a “Josh Allen mentality” when addressing his competitiveness and desire to win. That’s certainly a high compliment as Allen, the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, has been one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the NFL over the past few seasons.

“He’s getting better and better,” Kiper said of McCarthy. “They didn’t ask him to carry the team. He didn’t have anything to do with that. When they asked him to make plays, he did. He did it very effectively. He’s a great kid, super competitive young man. He’s got that Josh Allen mentality.

“At this spot, JJ McCarthy’s got a little risk there because we haven’t seen him be able to put the team on his shoulder. I get that. But the talent’s there, the work ethic’s there, the passion for the game is there. It’s up to coach (Sean) Payton to get the most out of this kid.”

The NFL comparison for JJ McCarthy is an interesting one. Allen has shown his ability as a runner to rush four at least 500 yards in each of the past four seasons. Similarly, McCarthy was able to make plays with his legs for the Wolverines to total 632 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns over three seasons.

McCarthy didn’t put up eye-popping numbers as a passer but was efficient in leading Michigan to a national championship this past season. He completed 72.3% of his passes for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns compared to just four interceptions.

McCarthy has seen his stock rise recently, with some draft experts even projecting that he is taken as a top 10 pick. Although Kiper wasn’t willing to go that far, fellow NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller suggested he wouldn’t be surprised if the Falcons take him at No. 8.

“He’s gonna be the fourth quarterback off the board and after we see him work out here in Indy, he’s the only top quarterback working out, he could even get into maybe No. 8 to Atlanta,” Miller said. “So I think this is a really good landing spot. I’ll echo what Mel said about the matchup with Sean Payton. He needs somebody that can be coached hard. When you’ve been coached by Jim Harbaugh for three years and only lost one game as a starter, you can take hard coaching.

“So I think JJ McCarthy is a really good fit personality-wise. He’s a really good fit work ethic-wise. But also what he brings to the field as a passer, as a runner. The toughness is absolutely there. So I like McCarthy to Denver if he’s there. I think by late April we could see a rise to where he’s not on the board here.”

McCarthy is the only quarterback among the top four projected players who is expected to throw at the NFL Combine on Saturday. We’ll see if his performance there can raise his stock even more and land him among the top 10 come draft day on April 25.