Where Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy Is Projected to Go in the 2024 NFL Draft
The national championship-winning quarterback is one of the most intriguing prospects in the field.
J.J. McCarthy won’t be the first quarterback of the board when the 2024 NFL draft rolls around on Thursday, April 25, but there will be few prospects more intriguing than the Michigan product .
The veteran quarterback declared for the draft on Sunday, days after leading the Wolverines to a national championship win over Washington. He brings an undeniable winning résumé to the pros, with a 27–1 record as a starter over the last two seasons for the Wolverines. Compared to other potential first-rounders like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels though, McCarthy didn’t exactly stuff the statsheet.
McCarthy finished 2023 with 2,991 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions, completing a robust 72.3% of his throws. He’s also dangerous as a runner, with 202 yards and three touchdowns, and scored 10 times on the ground during his college career.
Junfu Han/Detroit Free Press/USA TODAY Network
Notably, Michigan really leaned on its run game down the stretch of the season, including in some of the season’s biggest games. Over the last six games of the season—at Penn State, at Maryland, vs. Ohio State, vs. Iowa (Big Ten championship) and vs. Alabama and Washington (College Football Playoff)—McCarthy threw for more than 150 yards just three times (his 221-yard, three touchdown performance against the Crimson Tide.) He averaged just 142.8 yards per game during that stretch, with four touchdowns and one interception.
So, where does this leave McCarthy with regard to the NFL? Opinions are pretty split right now. Sports Illustrated‘s Luke Easterling published his latest mock draft on Thursday morning, and does not include the Michigan gunslinger in his top 32 picks, with four other quarterbacks getting the call.
Other draft prognosticators do expect him to be a first-day selection in recent mock drafts, however:
- ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. updated his big board and has McCarthy as the No. 5 quarterback, but has him falling outside of the top 25 draft picks.
- Elsewhere at ESPN, draft analyst Jordan Reid has McCarthy going No. 12 to the Denver Broncos, as the heir apparent to Russell Wilson.
- The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler posits an interesting landing spot for McCarthy: No. 19 to the Los Angeles Rams, where he may sit behind veteran Matthew Stafford.
- At USA TODAY, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz sends the Michigan QB to the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 13 pick.
- Sporting News‘s Vinnie Iyer is very bullish on McCarthy’s draft potential, mocking him to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8.
No matter where he goes, the 2024 NFL draft will be a home game for McCarthy and his fans, with Detroit’s Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza hosting the event from April 25–27.