The stock of Michigan star JJ McCarthy has been rising for weeks, and the buzz around the NFL continues to make it look like he will bypass Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels and be the second quarterback selected later this month.
For the last year, there has been a consensus that USC star and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams will be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. While the Trojans disappointed this past season, little has changed about his projection and he is still expected to be taken by the Chicago Bears when they start off the April 25 event.
- JJ McCarthy stats (2023): 2,991 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 167.4 passer rating
Related: Latest 2024 NFL Mock Draft
However, the speculation about which QB will go after him has been one of the most popular talking points around the league for months. To most, Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye have been the top choices. However, after winning a national championship in January, JJ McCarthy’s stock has shockingly skyrocketed.
Late in 2023 most draft boards had him in the third tier of QBs alongside national championship opponent Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix. But the narrative on him has quickly shifted during the pre-NFL Draft process and according to ESPN draft expert Matt Miller, the ongoing buzz around McCarthy possibly being the second QB taken has become undeniable.
“If this was one or two people saying it, I’d probably dismiss it as the usual April draft buzz that doesn’t come to fruition. But enough sources around the NFL are whispering that McCarthy could very well be the second quarterback off the board that it has to be considered possible at this point,” he wrote recently.
Will the Washington Commanders use their top pick on JJ McCarthy?
If McCarthy is expected to be the second quarterback selected in April, it would seem likely that he will be a member of the Washington Commanders roster on April 25. The organization is clearly in need of a long-term answer at the position and has made no notable moves this offseason to fill their starting QB spot for 2024.
But the Commanders have many needs and they are in a beneficial position where they could trade back with a team in love with McCarthy and get extra draft assets in the process. It all depends on who new head coach Dan Quinn feels is the best fit for their team.
After Williams and McCarthy, there are Daniels, Maye, and Penix Jr. who are all highly-touted and would still be on the board in the top 10. If Washington likes one of them and can get a second or third-round pick it would be a big win for the organization’s new front office regime.
Our latest NFL Mock Draft has the Commanders selecting Maye at No. 2 and McCarthy falling to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 11.
- JJ McCarthy NFL Draft projection: No. 2 overall to Washington Commanders
Related: NFL scout, exec reveal huge concern with Michigan QB JJ McCarthy ahead of 2024 NFL Draft