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J.J. McCarthy figures to be a first-round pick during the 2024 NFL draft, and he may have even more to offer at the professional level than he did in college since he will no longer be in Jim Harbaugh’s offense at Michigan.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler relayed opinions from NFL sources Tuesday, and the idea that McCarthy was held back in college has picked up traction with the draft approaching.
“[McCarthy] wasn’t a game manager because they had to hide something—he has high-level traits,” a scout said. “It’s more a function of Jim Harbaugh’s offense. He’s never been asked to throw 30-plus times a game but I think he can handle it.”
An AFC coach added that, “Harbaugh didn’t trust him like he did Andrew Luck. When he makes a mistake, Harbaugh leans into the running game even more so during the flow of the game.”
To be fair to McCarthy and even Harbaugh’s game-planning, few quarterback prospects in the history of the NFL draft stack up to Luck. He was a dominant player at Stanford and ended up going No. 1 overall to the Indianapolis Colts in the 2012 draft.
There is plenty to like about McCarthy as well after he led the Wolverines to an undefeated season and College Football Playoff National Championship. While he threw for just 2,991 yards, he avoided key mistakes on his way to 22 touchdown passes and four interceptions. He also proved he can use his legs when needed with 202 yards and three scores on the ground.
B/R’s NFL Scouting Department projected him as the No. 11 overall pick to the Minnesota Vikings in its most recent mock draft, which would make him the fourth quarterback taken near the beginning of the first round.
The Vikings would surely open things up more than Harbaugh did at Michigan given the presence of offensive weapons such as Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, which would allow McCarthy to show his entire skill set after playing in a conservative Wolverines’ attack.
Some around the NFL believe that will help him fully unlock his overall talent.
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