NFL Network analyst on J.J. McCarthy: 'I'd be shocked' if not a top-12 selection, names his best fit

The Michigan Wolverines‘ 2024 NFL Draft efforts will be headlined by quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who has been one of the hottest prospects since declaring for the event back in January.

Many of the narratives around McCarthy have to do with his fit in the NFL after playing in a run-first system. However, some might argue that playing for an NFL head coach like Jim Harbaugh and a system that mirrors the pros might make him more ready than most.

During a pre-draft conference call this week, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah took on both sides of the argument.

“The best way I heard this explained to me, and I love the way it was said, which was somebody was watching tape with McCarthy and they got to watching a drive and they got into the red zone, and he said, ‘Well, you can fast forward it from here.’ What do you mean? ‘This is Michigan football from here on in. We’re just going to run the ball, and that’s going to work, and they will get their way in the end zone. Jim Harbaugh wasn’t going to–why throw it if you don’t have to throw it?’ And they didn’t,” Jeremiah said. “He said, ‘Look, we worked on red zone passing every day in practice and put in all the work and I’ve got all that experience,’ but they didn’t need it, except in a few games, including in the Alabama game, and he played well.

“That’s why it’s a difficult evaluation because you can see him do everything you want him to do or you need a big-time quarterback to do, it’s just that numbers in terms of the volume are not there. You’ve got somebody that, if you look at him from a size standpoint, he’s put on like 15 pounds in the last year. I think he’s still growing into his body. He’s going to be a bigger guy. Everybody that was at the Pro Days that I talked to said he threw it as well or better than any of the top quarterbacks. He’s got a big-time live arm. You’ve got enough size, a guy that’s still growing. He’s got a big arm. He’sincredibly smart. There are things you can latch onto there, and you’ve just got to have faith, some do and some don’t, in terms of what you’re buying there.

“In terms of him going, the Vikings are the team that’s connected to him, and then you have the Denver Broncos. Is that enough to warrant a move up there, or do those teams try and be patient and see how it falls? That, I don’t know. I’ll put it this way. If you tell me that J.J. McCarthy goes beyond the 12th pick, I’d be shocked. Outside of that, everything’s on the table. Whether or not that’s a trade up to 4, or 5, whether that’s a trade up just a couple of spots, or whether those teams stand pat, I think all those options are in play.”

McCarthy will not go No. 1 overall with USC’s Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears all but set to make their relationship official. From there, any option is on the table. The Minnesota Vikings are the team that has come up the most given their need and that they traded for an extra first-round pick, likely as ammunition to move up.

Given a star duo of wide receivers in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, in addition to an offensive-minded head coach in Kevin O’Connell, it might be a natural fit for the Michgian star.

“If you gave truth serum to the quarterbacks and the agents of all the top guys, every single one of them would say they would love nothing more than to go to the Minnesota Vikings,” Jeremiah said. “That would be the No. 1 choice. Of all these teams that are quarterback teams, and we’ve run through all of them on this call, that is by far the best landing spot for a quarterback to go into. It’s all set up, from the things that we talk about with the three Ps, with the play caller, the protection, the playmakers, check, check, check.

“Hey, maybe we don’t want to rush right onto the field, we want to sit and learn a little bit, we’ve got Sam Darnold who can get us through games, he can get us through the whole season if we need to, but at least get us through games until you’re comfortable and ready to go out there. I can’t think of a better situation for a young quarterback than the one that the Minnesota Vikings have. For me, I think it’s kind of foolish to look back and see, oh, these teams or these people had these quarterbacks ranked wrong. It’s like, well, if you tell me where all they’re going to go, it might inform how you’d rate the players a little bit. I’d feel pretty confident Minnesota has a good chance of getting some production out of a quarterback that they take.”

The 2024 NFL Draft is set for April 25-27 in Detroit, Michigan, 45 minutes down the road from Ann Arbor. McCarthy will not attend the draft in person and instead watch from home with family and friends.