NFL Draft stock: 3 teams bold enough to use a first round pick on J.J. McCarthy
By Lior Lampert
Throughout the 2023 season, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy has played a pivotal role in helping the Wolverines secure their first outright national championship since 1948. However, in the 34-13 trouncing over the Washington Huskies, McCarthy took a back seat to the Michigan backfield and defensive unit. Could the performance impact McCarthy’s draft stock?
McCarthy took on the role of a game manager against the Huskies, as has been the case throughout Michigan’s historic season. The Wolverines quarterback attempted just 18 passes for 140 scoreless yards while running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards did the heavy lifting on offense, combining for 238 yards and four rushing touchdowns.
With another year of eligibility in his college football career, McCarthy could decide to stay at Michigan for one more season in hopes of raising his draft stock. Or, he can look to cash in on the season he and the Wolverines just had to expedite his journey to the NFL.
Several NFL teams are expected to be in the market for a new quarterback this offseason. Between McCarthy, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., UNC's Drake Maye, USC’s Caleb Williams, and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU, there are plenty of viable options who could be selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Given the current state of these respective franchises and their quarterback rooms, these three teams could be bold enough to spend a Day 1 draft pick on McCarthy.
3. Las Vegas Raiders
After signing a three-year, $72 million contract this offseason to be the quarterback of the Las Vegas Raiders, the Jimmy Garoppolo experiment failed miserably just six starts into his tenure. Once the Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels (the man responsible for the acquisition of Garoppolo due to their time together with the New England Patriots), interim head coach Antonio Pierce elected to see what the franchise had in fourth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell.
O’Connell posted a 5-5 record in 10 starts this season, completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 2,218 yards, adding 12 touchdown passes and seven interceptions.
While the rookie signal-caller did a solid job of staying ready for his moment, O’Connell didn’t quite blow away the competition. O’Connell proved to be a serviceable option, especially compared to Garoppolo, but the Raiders can potentially upgrade the position by drafting J.J. McCarthy in the first round.
At 6-foot-3 and 197 pounds, McCarthy has a blend of size and athleticism that quarterbacks in today’s NFL need to thrive. Pair that with the likes of Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Michael Mayer, and hopefully Josh Jacobs (pending contract situation) and it makes the Raiders a viable team bold enough to spend a Day 1 pick on McCarthy.