NFL Draft Rumors: J.J. McCarthy ‘Strong Candidate’ to Be Picked Before Jayden Daniels

Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTFeatured Columnist IVMarch 4, 2024

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The prevailing belief in recent weeks has seemed to be that LSU quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels would be the third quarterback

Ben Solak of The Ringer reported Monday that he “heard significantly more interest and excitement for how high Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy might go relative to how high Daniels might go” at the NFL Scouting Combine.

He added his “sense is that Daniels is not locked into an early draft slot and that the league has turned its attention elsewhere. McCarthy is a strong candidate to go before Daniels in April.”

Solak added the caveat that it’s “smoke-screen season” and teams may simply be disguising their true intentions.

Most big boards have Daniels above McCarthy. The B/R NFL Scouting Department ranked Daniels No. 24 overall on its latest big board in February, third among quarterbacks, while McCarthy was all the way down at No. 55 overall and fourth at the position.

And last week, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network had Daniels No. 6 overall on his big board, third among quarterbacks, while McCarthy was No. 27 overall and fifth at the position (Bo Nix was fourth for him).

He noted that Daniels has “exceptional accuracy, decision-making and speed” though he “needs to do a better job of protecting himself.”

McCarthy, meanwhile, is a “lean, athletic quarterback with a live/loose arm” who is “very consistent because of his ability to always throw from a firm base, with his feet and eyes connected,” adding that the “only throws that gave him some trouble were over-the-top outside shots, as he let too many of those leak and end up out of bounds.”

Get Up @GetUpESPN.@LRiddickESPN doesn’t believe the Giants should draft J.J. McCarthy at No. 6.

“I don’t care what you think his ceiling is, he is not going to excel in that environment. … He’s a notch below Jayden [Daniels] … Caleb [Williams] … Drake [Maye].” pic.twitter.com/8wNGuqdSLj

Michigan ran more of a ground-and-pound offense during his time at the school, though he didn’t have the passing volume of players like Daniels, Nix, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. In total, he threw for 6,226 yards, 49 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in three seasons, completing 67.6 percent of his passes.

Perhaps at the NFL level he’ll have the chance to prove he can spearhead a more pass-heavy offense. But for teams that scheme easy reads for quarterbacks and have ample weapons elsewhere—think the San Francisco 49ers with Brock Purdy—McCarthy may be seen as a player with an extremely high floor, making him a safe option.

Daniels’ playmaking ability as both a rusher and a passer capable of extending plays gives him a very high upside. But as the Indianapolis Colts saw with Anthony Richardson during his rookie season, a tendency toward taking big hits can be a major concern.

It’s always fascinating seeing how the draft board takes shape between the combine and April’s draft. This year’s event will have a particular emphasis on the quarterbacks.