Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy a top-10 pick in ESPN mock draft
ESPN’s Matt Miller released a fresh NFL mock draft Tuesday, and Michigan Wolverines football junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy checked in top 10, at No. 7 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.
McCarthy was the fourth signal-caller off the board, behind USC’s Caleb Williams (No. 1 to the Chicago Bears), North Carolina’s Drake Maye (No. 2 to the New England Patriots) and LSU’s Jayden Daniels (No. 4 to the New York Giants). Those four are the only quarterbacks to have appeared on the first-round mock.
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The Raiders own a 5-8 record, have fired their head coach, Josh McDaniels, are currently led by interim Antonio Pierce and will likely look for a new quarterback to lead the franchise going forward.
“Could the Raiders roll with Aidan O’Connell in 2024? Sure, but all signs right now point to them starting over at quarterback with a new regime in place, even after signing Jimmy Garoppolo in the 2023 offseason,” Miller wrote.
McCarthy has a 25-1 record as Michigan’s starting quarterback. And while the Wolverines’ offense doesn’t allow him to put up video-game numbers, McCarthy has been efficient this season, completing 74.2 percent of his passes for 2,630 yards and 19 touchdowns with 4 interceptions. He’s also rushed 57 times for 146 yards and 3 scores.
“McCarthy is instinctive, efficient and effective as a second-effort creator outside of the pocket,” Miller wrote. “The Michigan scheme does him no favors in terms of statistics, but NFL scouts continue to tell me that McCarthy will be drafted earlier than expected.”
McCarthy hasn’t made a decision on whether or not he will return to Michigan for his senior season. In fact, it’s entirely possible that he comes back to Ann Arbor and any mock draft projections with him included are moot. But Miller laid out how some other decisions for top quarterback prospects could land McCarthy in the first round.
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“With Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) and Quinn Ewers (Texas) expected to return to college for the 2024 season, McCarthy is the lone first-round-caliber passer remaining on my board,” Miller continued. “And if things play out this way, this would be the quickest that four QBs have come off the board in the common draft era (since 1967), per ESPN Stats & Information.”
McCarthy finished 10th in Heisman Trophy voting. The Wolverines were the only school with multiple players to check in top 10 this year, with senior running back Blake Corum slotting ninth.
The 6-3, 202-pounder will have the chance to further impress scouts and front offices when the Wolverines compete in their third consecutive College Football Playoff, with a Rose Bowl showdown with Alabama coming up Jan. 1.
Michigan hasn’t had a first-round pick at quarterback since head coach Jim Harbaugh was selected by the Chicago Bears No. 26 overall in 1987. The Wolverines have only had two first-round signal-callers in history, with Forest Evashevski, the No. 10 choice in 1941 to the Washington Redskins, joining Harbaugh.
