What they're saying about J.J. McCarthy's NFL Combine performance, draft stock

J.J. McCarthy‘s efforts at the 2024 NFL Combine headline the 18 attendees at the event from the Michigan Wolverines. McCarthy is expected to lead the charge as a potential first-round pick with his stock continuing to rise a little under two months out from the NFL Draft in Detroit.

And there’s plenty of interest in him.

McCarthy confirmed 11 formal meetings with NFL teams in Indianapolis – Washington, New Orleans, Denver, Atlanta Minnesota, New England, Las Vegas, Tampa Bay, Chicago, NY Giants and Seattle. From here, he’ll head back to California to train before returning to Ann Arbor for Pro Day on March 18.

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Here’s a look at what the national voices said about the Michigan signal-caller’s showing at the NFL Combine.

Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network

All the ability is there. Look at the win-loss record. Look at the skillset. The only knock has been the volume. He didn’t get to throw as much as these other guys. Velocity and accuracy on those drive throws. You see it when he’s working in the seam and when he’s powering the ball outside the numbers as well. The athleticism, he can really move and create plays. Designed quarterback runs showed up in the big way in that semifinal game against TCU. It’s volume, Rich. Just didn’t get the same amount of volume.”

Justin Melo, The Draft Network

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With Williams, Daniels, and Maye skipping the majority of the festivities, J.J. McCarthy was the consensus top-ranking quarterback to perform in Indianapolis. McCarthy won the weigh-in process by measuring in at 6-foot-2 and 219 pounds. That’s approximately 20 pounds greater than McCarthy’s alleged playing weight at Michigan.

McCarthy undeniably bulked up to increase the number on the scale, but scouts will be thrilled nonetheless. McCarthy took advantage of the absentees at the position to do his pre-draft stock a favor. It wouldn’t be overly shocking if McCarthy upset the perceived order by being a top-three quarterback off the board.

Jeff Howe, The Athletic

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McCarthy is viewed as a great leader and plus athlete who didn’t get enough opportunities to show off his arm in Michigan’s run-heavy offense. Because of that, some have questioned how he’ll transition to a pass-heavy offense in the NFL. That’s the unknown element for teams.

McCarthy represents the start of the second tier of QBs, as teams view a tier-drop from Daniels to here. Still, there’s a chance he goes as high as the fourth pick if a team gets anxious enough to select him and decides to trade up with the Arizona Cardinals, whom league sources view as willing to move down.

It’s conceivable the New York Giants (No. 6), Atlanta Falcons (No. 8), Minnesota Vikings (No. 11), Denver Broncos (No. 12), Las Vegas Raiders (No. 13), Seattle Seahawks (No. 16) and Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 20) could be in play for McCarthy. Even if it’s just two or three of those teams, it makes a trade up the board more likely, and the action on McCarthy could kick-start the draft-night drama.

Jordan Reid, ESPN

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Measuring 6-2½ and 219 pounds was a positive start to the day for McCarthy, who came in much heavier than his listed 202 pounds. But he participated in only the throwing portion of the workout, and McCarthy was inconsistent in spots — most notably on outbreaking routes. He couldn’t seem to connect with targets there, but we have to remember that he was throwing to unfamiliar targets. McCarthy was far more consistent on throws over the middle of the field, routinely setting his feet underneath his body and operating from an efficient base. He is still a raw passer, and that was seen throughout the throwing session. McCarthy will need to clean up his lower-body mechanics to improve his accuracy toward the sideline and on deep passes. But I still don’t see him lasting past the Raiders at No. 13 overall.

Dan Graziano, ESPN

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I still think teams are higher on Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy than a lot of people on the outside think, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him picked in the top 10. He came to Indy as one of the prospects with the most to gain, and while teams of course have questions, he has intriguing traits. He’s the No. 4 QB in the ESPN consensus rankings.

Josh Edwards, CBS Sports

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There were some outbreaking routes to the left that McCarthy sailed, but he was impressive otherwise. He got his footwork down and was ripping some balls over the middle. McCarthy registered the second-highest velocity on the day, and that showed on deep balls. 

Zach Bachar, Bleacher Report

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B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen compared McCarthy to Baker Mayfield in his scouting report, with the two owning similar measurements at their respective combine appearances. Mayfield measured in at just below 6’1″ and 215 pounds at the 2018 combine, with a hand size of roughly 9.25 inches.

McCarthy appeared to improve his draft stock with his throwing on Saturday, and he’ll have the opportunity to showcase his athleticism in front of teams when he presumptively runs the 40-yard dash at Michigan’s pro day.

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

NFL Combine profile
Enigmatic quarterback lacking the measurables and splash throws associated with early round quarterbacks but possessing elements that require more study and consideration. McCarthy lacks frame thickness and a plus arm. He’s fairly poised in the pocket but is average as a pocket passer. His ball placement and timing need to improve to help mitigate an average operation time due to a windup release. McCarthy doesn’t seek to play out of structure but is fairly consistent at making positive plays when it happens and ramps up his focus late in games and on third downs. He is confident and seems to have the ability to take slights and digest it as competitive fuel. McCarthy should continue to improve as a passer, but he fails to stand out in many of the areas that tend to be predictive of top-level success in the NFL.