Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Analyst hints Michigan's J.J. McCarthy is QB1 for two teams

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 4/9/24

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy has had a meteoric rise from late first-round pick to potential top-four pick over the last two-and-a-half months.

Scouts seem to be torn about exactly how high the 21-year-old signal caller should be drafted, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that he’s a lot higher on the draft boards of the QB-needy teams in the top five than he likely is for teams picking outside of the top five — a sentiment shared by NFL analyst Michel Holley of NBC Sports Boston.

“I'm hearing more and more chatter that J.J. McCarthy is high, if not first, on the boards of the Washington Commanders and the New England Patriots,” Holley said. “He may be QB1 for both of those teams.”

All J.J. McCarthy has done is WIN wherever he has played @jjmccarthy09 @IMGAFootball @UMichFootball

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— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) April 6, 2024

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has been the consensus pick of the Washington Commanders at No. 2 overall in most mock drafts, but McCarthy has been gaining traction as a possible dark horse pick in that spot.

If Daniels is, in fact, the second QB off the board, McCarthy makes a lot of sense for the New England Patriots at No. 3 overall. New England has been linked at various points throughout the offseason to both Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye, but McCarthy may be a sleeper pick for the rebuilding Patriots, who desperately need a franchise quarterback to build around.

Many scouts have soured on Maye over the last handful of weeks, and with his stock slipping, McCarthy appears to be the prime beneficiary.

“I know I've dismissed it here; I'm going to have to dial that back,” Holley added. “I've been told that I may need to dial it back a little bit and that it is not a crazy thought to say that McCarthy is going to go in the top five and maybe the top three.”

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