As J.J. McCarthy’s draft stock climbs, Michigan QB could sneak into top 3
“I heard significantly more interest and excitement for how high Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy might go relative to how high LSU QB Jayden Daniels might go.”
Slowly but surely, J.J. McCarthy seems to be climbing the draft ranks.
The Michigan quarterback, who barely snuck into the top 15 overall in Mel Kiper’s mock draft last month, could be picked higher after his performance at the NFL Combine over the weekend.
According to the Ringer’s Ben Solak, McCarthy has a shot at going to the Patriots at No. 3.
“I heard significantly more interest and excitement for how high Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy might go relative to how high LSU QB Jayden Daniels might go,” Solak wrote Monday morning after spending the week in Indianapolis.
For weeks, experts have predicted that the top three picks will be quarterbacks, involving some combination of USC’s Caleb Williams, UNC’s Drake Maye, and Daniels. Now, could the tune be changing in McCarthy’s favor?
The 21-year-old, who led Michigan to a national championship last season, went 240 of 332 (72 percent) for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns, and four interceptions. His stats nowhere near match those of Daniels (236 of 327 for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and 4 interceptions), however, McCarthy said personal accolades were never his priority.
“All I cared about was being the best teammate I could possibly be, being the best quarterback I could possibly be, whatever’s asked about me,” he said per the Globe’s Christopher Price. “The only stat I cared about was W’s, and we did pretty good in that category.”
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson released his updated mock draft Monday morning, also opting to slot McCarthy in at No. 3. He defended the signal caller’s statistics by pointing out that Michigan played a run-heavy offense where less was asked of McCarthy.
“But go back and watch his throws on third down and 6 to 10 yards to go: he completed 73 percent of his attempts — many of them NFL throws — with 5 touchdowns and no turnovers,” Wilson wrote.
It’s hard not to be struck by nostalgia at the thought of the Patriots drafting another quarterback out of Michigan. The last time it happened was 2000, when New England picked up Tom Brady at No. 199. It’s safe to say that story played out nicely, and McCarthy sounded excited at the prospect of following in Brady’s footsteps.
After meeting with the Patriots at the combine, McCarthy said it would be an “honor” to be a part of the organization.
“It went amazing,” he said. “Coach Mayo was just an awesome guy, asking really great questions. You could definitely tell he’s been around this process a long time and been a part of it. Just great interactions.”
While McCarthy’s status as a future Patriot is far from certain, he continues to stand out as a strong quarterback candidate. His next opportunity to show off his skills is on March 22 during Michigan’s Pro Day.
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