The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t appear to have given up on the idea of Kenny Pickett becoming a franchise quarterback. But CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli apparently doesn’t buy that. In a NFL mock draft on February 23, Fornelli predicted the Steelers to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
To land McCarthy, Fornelli proposed the Steelers trading up to No. 9 in the 2024 NFL draft.
“The Steelers realize Kenny Pickett isn’t the answer and don’t waste time trying to correct the situation,” Fornelli wrote. “Arthur Smith is likely to bring a run-heavy offense that relies on play action and tight ends, and that sounds a lot like the offense McCarthy ran at Michigan!
“McCarthy has a strong arm, diagnoses defenses quickly, and is a good enough athlete to regularly extend drives with his legs. He’d be a good fit here.”
In three seasons at Michigan, McCarthy posted a 67.6% completion percentage and averaged 8.7 yards per pass attempt. He also had 49 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
As a starter in his college career, he registered a 28-1 record. Last season, McCarthy led the Wolverines to their first national championship since 1997.
During the 2023-24 college football playoffs, McCarthy completed 27 of 45 passes (60%) for 361 yards with 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
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