Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy kisses the championship trophy to celebrate the Wolverines' 34-13 win over Washington in the national championship game at NRG Stadium in Houston on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.
Syndication: Detroit Free Press
WASHINGTON — The Washington Commanders were always expected to select one of the top quarterback prospects with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
But on Monday things took a shocking turn.
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy celebrates after the 34-13 win over Washington to win the national championship game at NRG Stadium in Houston on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Commanders are leaning toward selecting Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
“It’ll be really interesting because everybody’s always trying to figure out, especially at the top of the draft, what the other teams are doing,” Pelissero said. “When I’ve had conversations here with executives for other teams who know Adam Peters well, who know the situation well, the most popular answer for what they do at No. 2 is J.J. McCarthy. So, a lot of drama still to come.”
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy celebrates a 27-20 Rose Bowl win over Alabama at the 2024 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.
The report surfaced just hours after Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh pumped up his former quarterback, again on Monday.
“I’ve said it before, and I think it’s well documented: I think he’s the best quarterback in the draft. That’s just what I think. It’s my opinion,” Harbaugh said. “He’s the one who plays quarterback [the best]. Of all the quarterbacks that are in the draft – there are great quarterbacks in the draft – but I think he plays quarterback the best of any quarterback in the draft.”
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh talks to quarterback J.J. McCarthy before the start of the Rose Bowl vs. Alabama in Pasadena, California, on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.
McCarthy has soared up NFL Draft boards faster than perhaps any other player in the history of the game. North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels have seemingly been competing to be the next quarterback off the board after USC’s Caleb Williams, but McCarthy has been getting more hype as the pre-draft process has gone on. All that said, there is no shortage of examples of quarterbacks being pushed up by the media, only to fall in the real NFL Draft.
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It’s a fascinating development being that we are just two months removed from top NFL Draft analysts calling McCarthy a game manager. But now he’s worthy of the second overall pick?
McCarthy is seemingly a lock to be selected in the first round of next month’s draft, but it would still be somewhat of a surprise if he overtakes both Maye and Daniels in draft position.
