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The fastest riser in the 2024 NFL Draft class is former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. When the NFL season first ended, it seemed like there would be a good chance that McCarthy would be available to the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 13 pick. However, that is likely no longer the case.
If the Raiders want McCarthy, they will likely need to trade up. Hall of Famer and former Michigan star Charles Woodson knows the young quarterback well and thinks he’d be a good fit in Las Vegas as long as the team didn’t rush him onto the field.
“I have a ton of respect for J.J. McCarthy and the way he led that Michigan Wolverines team last year,” Woodson said in a March 13 interview with Adam Schein of Mad Dogs Sports Radio. ” … It would take him a little time to acclimate. I think he needs a little more time to develop, but if [the Raiders] were to land that young man, I think his ceiling is very high, and that would be awesome if he was to don the silver and black.”
McCarthy just turned 21 in January so he’s still very young. The idea of sitting him for a season to develop could be appealing to many of the teams interested in drafting him but there might not even be a realistic path for the Raiders to draft the quarterback.
J.J. McCarthy Visiting With Washington Commanders
It’s looking more and more like J.J. McCarthy will be a top-five draft pick. In fact, there could be a chance that he goes as high as No. 2. According to a March 19 X post from Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the Washington Commanders are planning to meet with McCarthy soon.
The Commanders hold pick No. 2 in the 2024 NFL Draft and will almost certainly draft a quarterback. Many expect them to take Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels but it’s interesting that they’re meeting with McCarthy. Considering the team is in a full rebuild, landing a younger quarterback may be appealing.
The New York Giants are also meeting with McCarthy and hold the No. 6 pick so that could also be a landing spot for the quarterback.
Latest Scouting Report on J.J. McCarthy
Not everybody is as high on J.J. McCarthy. In a recent scouting report, Nick Akridge of Pro Football Focus believes the former Michigan star should be a mid-to-late first round.
“His game could translate very well to a Shanahan/McVay style of offense that likes to use play action and attack the middle of the field consistently,” Akridge wrote in a March 19 column. “He was able to do that at an extremely high level at Michigan. On the flip side, some shortcomings could put teams off McCarthy. He struggles with consistency on outside throws and touch on deep balls. The good news for McCarthy is that he’s still very young and nowhere near a finished product. That’s the selling point for drafting him.
“He brings a higher floor of being able to play on time over the middle of the field, and while he is still raw, he is a good enough athlete to make one believe he can be a franchise quarterback.”
Quarterback is the most important position so it makes sense why McCarthy might be overvalued. Regardless, there’s a lot of risk in drafting him early.
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