Author
Christopher Boan is a staff writer for BetMichigan.com. He has covered sports and sports betting for more than seven years and has worked for publications such as ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
J.J. McCarthy NFL Draft Projection: Where Will Former Michigan QB Get Drafted?
Winning the national title for Jim Harbaugh's University of Michigan team has had a tremendous side benefit for dynamic quarterback JJ McCarthy. His draft stock was high in January, but it's reached an all-time high as he enters April as a projected top-10 pick.
McCarthy, 21, will be expected to be a starting quarterback for the long haul by whichever team selects him. He was long projected to be drafted after USC's Caleb Williams, UNC’s Drake Maye, and LSU’s Jayden Daniels, but recent rumors now have him going as high as No. 2 overall.
Ahead of the first day of the draft on April 25, BetMichigan.com got in a Michigan sports betting mindset and broke down some hypothetical odds on which NFL team could wind up drafting McCarthy.
JJ McCarthy Draft Projection: Will He Go in the First Round?
The leaders on our hypothetical draft board, which you won't find on Michigan betting apps, to land McCarthy’s services are all QB-needy NFL franchises that have decisions to make in 2024 at the position.
The top four teams in our updated hypothetical odds are the Minnesota Vikings (+200), New England Patriots (+250), Washington Commanders (+450) and Denver Broncos (+1000).
An NFL franchise will have a shot at one of the winningest quarterbacks in Michigan football history, as McCarthy heads off to the pros with three straight Big Game victories over Ohio State and a national title game win over Washington. It was the Wolverines' first championship since 1997.
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Where Do NFL Mock Drafts Project J.J. McCarthy Will Be Drafted?
(All mock drafts as of April 4 subject to change)
The various mock drafts make one thing for sure: McCarthy is expected to go high in Round 1, certainly higher than expected late last season. National championships tend to help these things.
The highest of the mock drafts are NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks, CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso and Yahoo's Charles McDonald, who as of April 4 predict the New England Patriots taking McCarthy at No. 3 overall. All selections are between No. 3 and No. 12.
JJ McCarthy Draft Q&A
Michigan’s former starting QB continues to move up mock drafts and is projected to go to the Minnesota Vikings (+200) with the New England Patriots (+250) right behind them in odds.
USC’s Caleb Williams, UNC’s Drake Maye, LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Michigan’s JJ McCarthy, Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington's Michael Penix are the top QB prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft.
JJ McCarthy is projected to go to the Minnesota Vikings (+200), New England Patriots (+250), Washington Commanders (+450) or Denver Broncos (+1000).
JJ McCarthy did not run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine due to a hamstring injury, but he reportedly ran a 4.48 before his 2023 season with Michigan.
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