Most analysts have not put Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy in the highest-tier of quarterback prospects in this year’s draft class, but that doesn’t mean some NFL decision makers aren’t intrigued by the national champion signal caller.
During an appearance on “The Matt Barrie Show,” ESPN’s Matt Miller said McCarthy’s traits and makeup have earned him love from scouts, even though he didn’t play in a pass-heavy attack with the Wolverines.
“All the tools are there, they’re just waiting to come out. What did Patrick Mahomes say this week? He’s got a six-pack, it’s just under the dad bod. That’s J.J. McCarthy. The traits are just a little hidden right now, he just needs someone to bring them out,” Miller said. “And (Jim) Harbaugh is on record saying he should be the first QB drafted. I know he’s defending his guy, but I’ve talked to so many scouts, one in particular, who said J.J. McCarthy would be Joe Burrow if he were on a team that threw the ball.
“There’s a lot of love for J.J. McCarthy among the scouting community. He’s tough as hell, he’s got a big arm, he’s a very good athlete, and he’s coachable.”
Miller went on to say that fit is going to be important for McCarthy at the next level, but he’s confident that the Wolverines standout will impress at the upcoming scouting combine.
“The fit is going to matter. There are probably going to be some bumps just because he hasn’t thrown the football as much as these other guys. He hasn’t seen as many defenses as these other guys,” Miller said. “They play good defense in the Big Ten, he just hasn’t seen the 5 years of starts like a Bo Nix or a Michael Penix. That’s probably going to come up, but I think he’s going to put on a show if he throws at the NFL Combine.”