J.J. McCarthy’s Draft Stock Dips Over Comparisons to Aaron Rodgers’ Backup as 2024 QB Class Deemed to Outshine Michigan Wolverines QB

If any other name than Caleb Williams, the potential No.1 overall pick, is roaring among the NFL fans ahead of the upcoming draft, it is that of J.J. McCarthy. Ever since McCarthy propelled Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines to get the national championship, he has gained all the attention of football enthusiasts. However, weeks before the NFL Draft, matters don’t appear as shiny as they were before understanding that McCarthy’s stock is taking a dip.

Courtesy goes to his comparison with Zach Wilson, the backup of the famous Aaron Rodgers. In that case, his talents are now questioned to be able to beat the other quarterbacks who hold the probable prospects in the upcoming draft. 

McCarthy’s craze goes downward?

The Fan Duel TV’s X page has given a rundown on the recent workings surrounding McCarthy. As analyst Danny Kelly pointed out about the public attention that the Wolverines quarterback has garnered recently, “It feels like a lot of buildups right now in the media is like turning J.J. McCarthy into like a Josh Allen Level physical talent, you see, like a decent throw on a tape was like “Oh my God, this guy’s amazing.” 

Kelly further commented that this was the attention that Zach Wilson received being Aaron Rodgers’ backup, “This is what we did with Zach Wilson, I think. That’s sort of the parallel I’m getting with him. That being said, I do think he will end up being a pretty good starter in the NFL.” Hence, Kelly walks the opposite way from endorsing McCarthy and refuses to add to the craze. Instead, he is under the strong belief that other quarterbacks of the upcoming draft do possess an “elite ceiling” that McCarthy does not own, at least at the moment.

McCarthy vs. other prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft

In McCarthy’s case, the three quarterbacks who hold a chance to beat him in the draft are USC quarterback Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels from LSU, and North Carolina’s Drake Maye. As Albert Breer, an AFC executive commented about the Michigan quarterback, “Conversely, our AFC exec said McCarthy is ‘very far off’ from the top three. ‘J.J.’s not getting in the top three. No way.'”

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Even though McCarthy amassed a solid year with 22 touchdowns and 2,991 passing yards, his body is still a concern for many. Having a stature of 6-foot-3 and weighing 202 pounds, he is considered to be “lanky”. On that note, Breer said, “One veteran exec told me in the fall that he was taken aback by how narrow and lanky the Wolverines quarterback was, calling him a ‘stretched-out Bryce Young.'” 

For that matter, even Michael Penix Junior holds an advantage over McCarthy since he boasts remarkable arm strength. All speculation will be confirmed on April 25, in the first round, whether the public craze about McCarthy landing the No.1 spot finally transpires or that he will be surpassed by the other quarterbacks. 

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