JJ McCarthy is known for going barefoot on the field before games, leaning against the base of the goalposts and meditating. He appreciated the soothing beats of reggae so much that he named his dog “Marley.” His teammates say his daily attitude never wavers and he has nothing but positive vibes.
Perhaps he is perfectly prepared for what is to come.
NFL Draft Ringer.
There's always one. There's always a player, often a quarterback, whose projected ability at the next level provokes not just debate, but sometimes fervent support and criticism. Without realizing it, he has become the linchpin of a two- to three-month-long “draft debate.''
It doesn't matter who you are. Future MVPs — Cam Newton, Lamar Jackson. Future Flames — Johnny Manziel, JaMarcus Russell. They could be Tim Tebow, a famous college player, or Trey Lance, an unknown player from a small school.
Hand size can be important. The accuracy of the second down throw, which is outside of the numerical value, may be a problem. Strange charts and analytical formulas may appear. Just his one unbelievable toss during a scripted pro day could change everything (oh, Zach Wilson).
In the worst-case scenario, test scores are leaked, claims about poor interviewing skills are leaked, and there are vague concerns about “personality.” No one knows what is real or what is being planted in the media to scare other teams.
It's unclear how that will play out for McCarthy, who just led the University of Michigan to a national championship. But it's clear it's coming. This is the outlook that will be at the center of the coming storm.
Trying to predict who will and won't succeed as a quarterback in the NFL is a vacuum of uncertainty. Even though Louisville won the Heisman by all accounts, the entire league lost to Jackson. He was a two-time MVP in Baltimore and the last pick in the first round.
San Francisco selected Lance with the third overall pick in exchange for Ransom after a one-game season at FCS North Dakota State. Of course, the same front office that made that blunder was also astute enough to take Brock Purdy with the last pick of the seventh round.
No one knows. No one.
Still, stories need to be written, airtime filled, and discussions taken from the bar to the barbershop. It's all fun and games, unless you're probably someone who gets shredded.
McCarthy has been the focus of discussion this year, and there are good reasons to believe or not believe in him as an NFL prospect.
You can start with his 27-1 record as a starter. Or a national title. Or the testimonials from his coach — Jim Harbaugh graded him “A-plus, plus, plus” in nearly every category and declared there was no better player at the college level than Michigan's quarterback ( Tom Brady is recognized in the NFL, of course).
Not only is McCarthy mobile, but he also throws very effectively while running. He makes plays. His third and subsequent conversion rate is one of the best of any prospect ever. Last season, he completed 72.3% of his passes, and his touchdown percentage over the past two seasons makes him 44-9, giving him old-fashioned numbers.
However, Michigan didn't trust him the way most top-10 draft prospects did. There weren't many reel throws to highlight, and McCarthy wasn't very good (two picks and one fumble) in the 2022 playoff semifinal loss to TCU. The Wolverines focused on blocking, running, and tackling. They famously beat Penn State in 2023 by running the ball 32 times in a row (there was one pass that was negated by a penalty).
Is it a concern that a team has a high first-round pick on a quarterback and doesn't call passing plays? Or is McCarthy so team-first that he just doesn't care about things like that? , is praising the strategy a positive thing because they just want to win?
There are no clear answers to such questions.
Yahoo Sports' Nate Theis listed McCarthy as the 35th overall draft pick on his Top 40 big board. “I think Kyle Shanahan's offensive line coaches prefer McCarthy over other coaches because of his ability to throw on the move and drive the ball into the middle areas,” Theis wrote. In the latest mock draft, Theis has McCarthy selected 11th overall.
NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah initially did not give McCarthy a first-round grade. He is currently projected to go No. 8 in the latest mock draft. ESPN's Mel Kiper said “top 10” was too high for McCarthy and said the New York Giants should stick with Daniel Jones instead.
Of course, all of that opinion could change in one direction or another depending on how McCarthy fares in Indianapolis on Saturday.
“For JJ, I said he’s an acquired taste,” Jeremiah said. “When you're watching TV and you're like, 'Oh my god, they're not asking him to do much.' They run the ball. They play great defense. He manages the game. right…
“When you dig into the tape and actually watch it and see them throw the ball on third down and actually put the ball in his hands, there’s a lot to like about him,” Jeremiah continued. “He's really quick with his thinking. He's got a quick release. Everything he does is really smooth.”
And this is probably a new metric.
“He never tires of finishing,” Jeremiah said. “The other boys in his class are causing trouble.'' [by] Big game hunting. If you're going to have him do checkdowns and completions, he'll never get bored. ”
Ever get bored with the finished product?
Let's start the debate machine. Good luck to JJ McCarthy.
