Former GM gives the dumbest J.J. McCarthy landing spot yet in his NFL mock draft

"If you're a bird, I'm a bird." Well, I guess... While we should come to grips with the reality of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy being the No. 4 overall pick, there is no possible explanation other than organizational incompetence for him to go to the Arizona Cardinals with that selection. They already have Kyler Murray and they want Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. McCarthy can't go here.

Well, it didn't stop ESPN's Mike Tannenbaum from doing the unthinkable in his latest NFL mock draft. Yes, he has Arizona completely wasting its No. 4 pick on McCarthy. They don't need him, and they passed on both Harrison and LSU's Malik Nabers with that selection. McCarthy should be the fourth quarterback taken this spring. He can go No. 4 overall, but not to Arizona under any circumstance.

These are the types of draft-day shenanigans that get former NFL general managers like Tannenbaum fired and working for ESPN in the first place. I understand that Murray is slightly built and has not played a full season's worth of games in a few years, but the current regime in Arizona loves this guy! Murray is a huge reason why Jonathan Gannon and Monti Ossenfort left to come to the Cardinals.

Once again, this has nothing to do with McCarthy himself as a prospect, but rather where he is going.

J.J. McCarthy to the Arizona Cardinals would be otherworldly stupid

They may not have had a good season last year, but the Cardinals are building something positive. Murray's brand has been re-marketed. Gannon seems to have his players' approval. Ossenfort made savvy moves last year in the 2023 NFL Draft and in NFL free agency. This may not be a good team right now, but the Cardinals seem to have a decent upward trajectory under this new regime in town.

Here is what I venture to guess the Cardinals will do in the 2024 NFL Draft. They are going to field offers for the pick, wait and see what the three teams picking ahead of them will do and then select Harrison No. 4 overall out of Ohio State, who they are infatuated with. He is the best non-quarterback in the draft. Harrison has unreal wide receiver pedigree. His namesake father is an absolute legend.

Even if the Cardinals don't end up with Harrison, they will get quite the haul for the No. 4 pick should they choose to move back. Teams like the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos all have some reported interest in McCarthy. Arizona moved back from No. 3 in a deal with Houston last year, they moved back up to No. 6 in a deal with Detroit to draft Paris Johnson Jr. as a book-end.

Not only is the fit not there, but the value of the No. 4 overall pick will be disintegrated by taking McCarthy if you are the Cardinals. Have somebody else take him there, gather more draft capital and readjust. Again there is nothing wrong with McCarthy as a prospect, but you have to let the draft board work for you and not against you. These decisions impact the lives of so many men's families.

I'm pretty sure Madden would not even let your kid brother or nephew make this awful draft selection.