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Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

NFL Draft watch: J.J. McCarthy, Chris Braswell shooting up draft boards

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 10/24/23

Every week during the college football season, Yardbarker will post a brief look at 2024 NFL Draft prospects and how their play over the weekend either helped — or hurt — their draft stock.

Xavier Worthy | WR | Texas | PFF big board: No. 7 WR, No. 33 overall

Worthy has put together his three best performances of the season each of the last three weeks. Against Houston, the junior wideout caught six passes for 93 yards and a touchdown — his third straight game with 90 or more receiving yards and six or more receptions.

While his stat line is solid, it’s the intangibles that Worthy flashed at different points against Houston that made him standout. He used his speed to beat his defender in man coverage in the first quarter on a 42-yard touchdown strike, and later in the second quarter, his spin move on a first-and-10 screen pass turned what would have been a stop for no gain into a first down. There’s a big drop-off from Marvin Harrison Jr. and the rest of the 2024 receivers, but Worthy just may be working himself from the second round into the first.

Xavier Worthy spin move rating has gotta be up there pic.twitter.com/AUhZsOjwY1
— Nash (@NashTalksTexas) October 21, 2023

J.J. McCarthy | QB | Michigan | PFF big board: No. 6 QB, No. 35 overall

Against in-state rival Michigan State, McCarthy had his best performance of the season. He completed 21 of 27 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns as the Wolverines blew out the Spartans 49-0. McCarthy, who had been lukewarm four of the last five weeks, helped not only his draft stock but his Heisman candidacy as well.

Michigan has outscored Big Ten opponents 229-31 this season while McCarthy has accounted for 21 total touchdowns (18 passing three rushing) while mostly playing just three quarters because the Wolverines keep blowing everyone out. At his current pace, McCarthy could work his way into the top 15, and he has a strong case for being QB3 in the 2024 draft class.

Chris Braswell | DE | Alabama | PFF big board: No. 7 DE, No. 49 overall

Dallas Turner gets most of the attention among Alabama pass-rushers — and rightfully so — but Braswell has been just as good this season. In a 34-20 win over Tennessee on Saturday, Braswell had a team-high two sacks and two tackles for loss with a strip-sack forced fumble that led to a 24-yard Crimson Tide touchdown.

Some dope wrist-snap action from Chris Braswell on his game-changing sack in the fourth quarter.

All football players should know how to hand fight. pic.twitter.com/WeNSn4GYmf
— Cody Goodwin (@codygoodwin) October 23, 2023

Braswell is right behind Turner in pressures (36 to 32), hurries (20 to 17), sacks (eight to 6.5) and QB hits (eight to six). Although Braswell had a second-round grade on him entering the season, he may have played already himself into Round 1.

Quinn Ewers | QB | Texas | PFF big board: No. 10 QB, No. 70 overall

Ewers is on this list not because of anything performance related but because the AC joint injury he suffered in Saturday’s win over Houston will likely sideline him for most, if not all of UT’s remaining five games of the year.

Before his injury, Ewers was firmly in consideration to be the third quarterback off the board in 2024 behind Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. But potentially missing five games down the stretch and into the conference championships could drop Ewers out of the first round. In a loaded class that also features McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix and Riley Leonard, missing significant time will only lower Ewers’ draft stock.

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