With the conclusion of yesterday’s Super Bowl between Kansas City and San Francisco, the NFL Draft is now on the clock — it’s the next major event on the league’s calendar. There has been much debate over whether Michigan football quarterback JJ McCarthy will be a first-round pick, though draft insider Mel Kiper shared some good news for McCarthy recently: he has him among the nation’s top-five quarterbacks in this year’s draft cycle.
Michigan football quarterback garnering more NFL Draft hype
Latest NFL Draft projections have JJ McCarthy going among the top 15-20 picks nationally, perhaps landing with the Raiders or Seahawks. While Mel Kiper, a respected NFL Draft insider, is not exactly pinning McCarthy as a first-round lock, he does see the Michigan football legend as a top-five QB prospect.
Per Kiper’s latest big board, JJ McCarthy is ranked as the No. 4 quarterback prospect — he ranks behind Drake Maye (North Carolina), Jayden Daniels (LSU), and Caleb Williams (USC) in this year’s NFL Draft class. Notably, the Michigan football quarterback is ranked above some major QB names, such as Bo Nix (Oregon) and Michael Penix Jr. (Washington).
Mel Kiper ranks JJ McCarthy in top-5
During McCarthy’s time with Michigan football, he never recorded flashy numbers — largely due to Michigan’s run-first offensive scheme — though his 27-1 overall record as a starter for the Wolverines speaks for itself, as does his three Big Ten titles, CFP berths, and a 2024 National Championship ring. Again, many are conflicted on where McCarthy will land, especially since he was not the focal point of Michigan’s offense during his three seasons in Ann Arbor, though many top insiders seem to have a gut feeling that he will be one of the first quarterbacks off the board in April.
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