Will J.J. McCarthy be a First-Round Pick? 2024 NFL Draft Outlook

February 23, 2024

Will Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy be a first-round pick? Read the 2024 NFL Draft Outlook

University of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is a polarizing prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft class. The 21-year-old wasn't featured in a high-flying offense, mostly because Michigan dominated opponents in the running game and on defense. However, many analysts and scouts believe he has the tools to succeed at the next level, so he's been in the thick of first-round conversations.

Quarterbacks have never been more valuable in all levels of football, meaning teams are willing to use precious draft capital to gamble on them. That could work in McCarthy's favor.

Will McCarthy be a first-round pick? Who are some potential suitors for the signal-caller? Let's dive in.

J.J. McCarthy Michigan Career Review

As a true freshman, McCarthy appeared in 11 games as a backup, throwing for 516 yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions, and two rushing touchdowns.

In his final two seasons at Michigan, he started 28 games. The former four-star recruit went 27-1 with 5,710 passing yards, 44 touchdowns, and just nine interceptions. He added eight scores as a runner. Most impressively, he raised his completion percentage from 57.6% as a freshman to 72.3% as a junior.

McCarthy's only college loss was to TCU in the College Football Playoff Semifinals in 2022. In 2023, he defeated Nick Saban in his final game on the sideline, then beat Michael Penix Jr. and Washington in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

There it is! 👏👏@UMichFootball takes the lead 😤 pic.twitter.com/X5rfqLqA38

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 23, 2023

Will J.J. McCarthy be a First-Round Pick?

According to NFL Mock Draft Database, McCarthy is the consensus 24th overall prospect in the 2024 class. His highest rank among the hundreds of NFL mocks is 11th.

Ultimately, it seems clear that he will be among the first 32 prospects to hear his name called, and some mock draft analysts have him going as high as the No. 3 overall pick.

27-1 career record ✅
3x Big Ten Champion ✅
National Champion ✅

A legendary career at @UMichFootball for J.J. McCarthy 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/kvjH3QDptR

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) January 9, 2024

Some popular landing spots include the Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and Atlanta Falcons. McCarthy is younger and has less experience than most of the big-name prospects in recent draft classes, so it will be interesting to see if he'll be a candidate to sit behind a veteran for half or all of his rookie campaign.

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