Why J.J. McCarthy is reportedly a possible wild-card factor in Patriots’ plan to draft a quarterback
Would the Patriots pick a quarterback because of a basic similarity with Tom Brady?
When the 2024 NFL Draft gets underway on Thursday night, the most intriguing early plot line will be where and when the top quarterbacks are selected.
Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye are seen as the leading trio. In addition, another name keeps floating around: Former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
The Patriots, holding the third overall pick, seem likely to end up selecting whichever of the Williams/Daniels/Maye group remains on the board. Yet due to a specific similarity to the legendary Tom Brady, McCarthy might still be the player New England drafts.
That, at least, is the contention of ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who reported the rationale in a pre-draft piece on Wednesday alongside fellow NFL insider Dan Graziano. He noted that the Patriots grade Daniels slightly higher than Maye, “but still like Maye’s upside.”
As for McCarthy, the wild-card factor could be if team owner Robert Kraft sees parallels with Brady (who also attended Michigan).
“McCarthy would fall somewhere after that,” Fowler wrote of the top three rankings, “though I was reminded Tuesday night to not totally discount Robert Kraft’s affinity for Tom Brady, who might see shades of himself in McCarthy, a fellow Michigan product. The Patriots could trade back and acquire McCarthy with a later pick.”
Granted, the scenario of picking McCarthy still appears unlikely.
As Fowler explained, “signs point to [the Patriots] staying put.” In that case, McCarthy probably wouldn’t be New England’s pick.
Yet, per Graziano, “[the Patriots] also made it clear they’re willing to listen to offers from teams looking to trade up to that spot.”
As the draft nears, the mystery surrounding New England’s pick seems to be growing instead of clearing.
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