At its most dramatic, the NFL draft can be on par with shows like “Succession” and “Game of Thrones” when it comes to shocking the audience — the 2024 version might give us more of the same.
ESPN’s Matt Miller identified a possible surprise move in the draft on April 5 in his latest update on buzz and rumors surrounding the first round on April 25 in Detroit, and it involves the Washington Commanders at the No. 2 overall pick.
Instead of taking LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels or North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye — as has been widely predicted — Miller says Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy has firmly placed himself in the race to be the Commanders’ franchise quarterback of the future.
“If this was one or two people saying it, I’d probably dismiss it as the usual April draft buzz that doesn’t come to fruition,” Miller wrote. “But enough sources around the NFL are whispering that McCarthy could very well be the second quarterback off the board that it has to be considered possible at this point … ruling out McCarthy in Washington would be foolish based on league-wide intel surrounding the quarterbacks.”
J.J. McCarthy’s Stock Soars Headed Into 2024 NFL Draft
Two months ago, McCarthy was an afterthought for the three teams picking at the top of the draft — the Chicago Bears, Commanders and New England Patriots. Three weeks away from draft day, he’s become a hot topic of discussion.
McCarthy is widely-viewed as the fourth-best quarterback in the draft behind USC’s Caleb Williams, who seems like a virtual lock at No. 1 to the Bears.
ESPN NFL draft experts Mel Kiper Jr., Jordan Reid, Matt Miller and Field Yates have McCarthy as a consensus No. 4 quarterback in their latest position rankings. McCarthy didn’t crack their Top 10 consensus rankings of players regardless of position, either.
Kiper Jr. has McCarthy staying put at No. 14 overall in his latest player rankings released on April 5.
“McCarthy has first-round arm talent and can beat defenses with his legs too. He ranked third in the country in Total QBR (89.2) and completion percentage (72.3%) in 2023,” Kiper Jr. wrote. “Since he took over as the Wolverines’ starter in 2022, he threw 44 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. Five of those INTs have come in two games, however; he threw three against Bowling Green earlier in 2023, and he had two pick-sixes in the College Football Playoff semifinal loss to TCU in 2022. Outside of those two games, he has managed games effectively and made great decisions with the football.”
Not Everyone Impressed with J.J. McCarthy Ahead of Draft
Not everyone is sold on the Michigan star becoming a franchise quarterback.
“Enigmatic quarterback lacking the measurables and splash throws associated with early round quarterbacks but possessing elements that require more study and consideration,” wrote NFL analyst Lance Zierlein in his evaluation of McCarthy. “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.”
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