J.J. McCarthy's draft placement is getting shocking hype from 'leaguewide intel

The 2024 NFL Draft is a few short weeks away on April 25, and we still have no idea what's going to happen at the top. Well, we do know the Chicago Bears will select Caleb Williams No. 1 overall. From there, it's a complete shot in the dark. We know what teams might do, maybe even what teams should do. None of that means we know what is about to go down.

On Thursday, ESPN's Adam Schefter hinted rather unambiguously that LSU's Jayden Daniels is the favorite to come off the board second to the Washington Commanders. But, those plugged into the rumor mill know Daniels is not the only quarterback connected to Washington. Drake Maye, of course, but also Michigan's J.J. McCarthy.

That speculation reached a fevered pitch on Friday, when Schefter's own ESPN colleague, Matt Miller, noted significant "whispering" about McCarthy as QB2 in league circles.

"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. The Commanders will ultimately decide what works best for their franchise -- and owner Josh Harris, general manager Adam Peters, coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will likely all be involved in that process -- but ruling out McCarthy in Washington would be foolish based on leaguewide intel surrounding the quarterbacks. He's currently my QB4 at No. 22 overall."

Folks, prepare for a doozy of an NFL Draft if all this McCarthy buzz eventually bubbles up to the surface. How long until the "possibility" of McCarthy at No. 2 becomes the popular projection?

J.J. McCarthy gaining steam as potential No. 2 pick for Commanders

Should J.J. McCarthy be the No. 2 overall pick? No, probably not. He has far less tangible experience than his QB peers at the top of draft boards. Drake Maye registered 239 more throws over his career at North Carolina, for example. Jayden Daniels, who famously runs the football a lot, threw 725 more passes, more than double McCarthy's workload. Maye is the better direct comparison as a fellow three-year player, but McCarthy's lack of volume at Michigan is glaringly apparent.

Maybe the talent wins out, and McCarthy is able to put the pieces together in a more QB-friendly system at the NFL level. He did win the National Championship at Michigan, as strong a final statement as any QB prospect can make. The Wolverines relied heavily on the run game, though. McCarthy uncorked several impressive throws during his Michigan tenure, but decision-making was a real concern, amplified by the lack of responsibility on his plate compared to other top QBs.

Washington is looking to rebuild quickly under new ownership. Kliff Kingsbury has a long history of working with mobile QBs, so Jayden Daniels has been the long-running favorite for a good reason (beyond the fact that he's a much better player). But, if the Commanders buy into McCarthy's big-throw upside, championship pedigree, and winning persona, who knows. We have seen blatant mistakes early in the NFL Draft before. It's an annual tradition.

McCarthy is QB4 on Matt Miller's board at ESPN, as well as most boards around the NFL Draft sphere. Maybe NFL front offices disagree, though. We can't ignore the volume of the noise surrounding McCarthy. He is officially on the radar in the No. 2 spot.