Coaches expand on rising NFL Draft stock of J.J. McCarthy

Much has been made since the NFL Scouting Combine about the unexpected rising draft stock of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. 

Rival coaches who "scouted, game-planned for and then faced" McCarthy touched upon his abilities while speaking with Bruce Feldman of The Athletic for a piece published Thursday. 

"I think too many people are getting caught up trying to look at box scores instead of watching film," one coach said about McCarthy. "He makes a lot of plays for them after the play breaks down. There’s some 'wow' stuff in there. He’s on a dead sprint, and he makes some perfect throws. When he has to get out and make a play, he can really do it."

As recently as early March, it seemed a lock that USC quarterback Caleb Williams, LSU signal-caller Jayden Daniels and North Carolina starter Drake Maye would be the first three picks of the 2024 NFL Draft. However, individuals such as Chris Trapasso and Pete Prisco of CBS Sports now believe the New England Patriots could take McCarthy at pick No. 3 and let Maye drop to the fourth overall selection. 

"I thought he was great," a different coach told Feldman about McCarthy. "You could tell he was the alpha male on that team from a leadership standpoint. He was coached up well on how to make throws and make the decisions very fast. He throws very well on the run. He did have a really good O-line and a good defense, but we didn’t think their wide receivers were great, and he made it all go." 

Some think a team such as the Denver Broncos or Minnesota Vikings could move up to either pick No. 4 or No. 5 to take McCarthy if he gets past the Patriots. CBS Sports' Kyle Stackpole recently predicted that the New York Giants will draft McCarthy via the sixth choice. 

One coach referred to McCarthy as "really dynamic" while chatting with Feldman. 

"You wanted to keep him in the pocket but he’d still get out whenever they needed him to, and he’s great throwing on the run," that coach said about the national champion. "He could get out to his left or his right and get you, but especially going to his right." 

Regardless of what fans may think about the matter, pretending that the McCarthy draft hype is fake or a smokescreen at this stage of the process seems downright silly. If anything, it appears that there's a real chance the Washington Commanders could make McCarthy the draft's second pick on the final Thursday of April.