The 2024 NFL Draft is almost here, and that means smoke screens are at an all-time high.
Every year, as the draft grows closer, rumors start flying around like crazy as teams try and position themselves to land the player they truly want. Often, that means spreading misinformation to make teams picking behind you believe that you want who they want.
Is that the case for Michigan star quarterback J.J. McCarthy, whose draft stock has blasted off as the big day gets closer?
McCarthy was the engine of the Wolverines’ national championship run, but he wasn’t considered to be in the same conversation as the 2024 NFL Draft’s “Big 3” of quarterbacks — USC’s Caleb Williams, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.
All of a sudden, reports suggest that McCarthy could get drafted as high as No. 2 to the Commanders or No. 3 to the Patriots.
Are those reports real, or are they just smoke screens? The Sporting News has you covered with the latest news on Michigan’s McCarthy ahead of draft day.
MORE NFL DRAFT: 3-round Mock Draft | Top 200 big board
J.J. McCarthy draft rumors
The Chargers are not drafting McCarthy
The Chargers have been loosely linked to McCarthy ever since Jim Harbaugh took the head coaching position in Los Angeles. Adam Schefter made it clear that the Michigan quarterback will not be reuniting with his former college head coach.
“They are not drafting J.J. McCarthy as the first pick to create a controversial situation in L.A. about who they should start at quarterback,” Schefter said. “They drafted a franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert and he’s the guy.”
Adam Schefter on the J.J McCarthy to the Chargers nonsense pic.twitter.com/Ec61DeYGUI
— Charlie Sinclair (@cmsinclar) April 24, 2024
Despite the Michigan ties, Schefter is right. There’s no possibility of this happening. There’s a chance that the Chargers trade back in order for another team to select McCarthy at No. 5.
McCarthy is not a top three pick
The top three of the 2024 NFL Draft is taking shape, and McCarthy isn’t in the mix, per CBS Sports’ Jordan Dajani. That makes sense considering the latest rumors on Daniels and Maye, which put them alongside Caleb Williams in the first three spots.
“Despite what some mock drafts say, I don’t see McCarthy going in the top three,” Dajani wrote. “Another interesting tidbit to consider is that money appears to be coming in on the Over on McCarthy’s draft position of 5.5. The juice is now down to +120 for him to go No. 6 or later. Can we even say he’s a lock for the top five?”
No smoke screen here. McCarthy seems to be on track to be selected after the top three. Still, the Patriots may trade down for him rather than select him at No. 3.
Patriots, Giants interested in drafting McCarthy
McCarthy has seen his draft stock rise significantly over the past couple weeks — he’s been rumored to go as high as No. 2.
The latest rumors on Daniels and Maye likely mean McCarthy won’t go in the top three, however, it’s possible the Patriots trade down to select the Michigan quarterback.
The Patriots are in need of a quarterback and are likely to draft one in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. They own the No. 3 pick, but if they’re truly impressed by McCarthy, they may trade down.
The Giants also have interest in McCarthy, according to Jeremy Fowler. That being said, the Giants may be bluffing since they already have Daniel Jones under contract until 2027.
Seems far less likely that New England is bluffing since it can bring in another Michigan quarterback to follow in Tom Brady’s footsteps.
McCarthy has pre-draft visits with six teams in top 12
“Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy’s final pre-draft visit will come Tuesday and Wednesday, when he is scheduled to meet with the Commanders,” Schefter reported.
“McCarty then will have visited the Commanders, Patriots, and Giants, while also conducting private workouts for the Vikings, Broncos, and Giants.”
This is just Schefter reporting cold hard facts.
McCarthy, who was once seen as a back-end first-round pick, has rocketed up draft boards significantly. Now, he has visited six different teams that have picks in the top 12 of this year’s draft.
MORE DRAFT RUMORS: Jayden Daniels | Drake Maye
Commanders could take McCarthy at No. 2
“If this was one or two people saying it, I’d probably dismiss it as the usual April draft buzz that doesn’t come to fruition,” Miller wrote in an NFL Draft intel piece. “But enough sources around the NFL are whispering that McCarthy could very well be the second quarterback off the board that it has to be considered possible at this point.
“… Ruling out McCarthy in Washington would be foolish based on leaguewide intel surrounding the quarterbacks.”
Could McCarthy really overtake LSU’s Daniels or North Carolina’s Maye on the Commanders’ draft board? It feels like a smoke screen, but it can’t be completely ruled.
MORE: 2024 QB-only NFL Mock Draft: Where does McCarthy land?
Patriots interested in McCarthy at No. 3
“What I heard from other general managers — not from the Patriots but other general managers — is that Eliot Wolf, the de facto general manager for the Patriots, is in love with J.J. McCarthy,” Pauline said on Tom E. Curran’s “Patriots Talk Podcast.”
“And right now, the feeling is that J.J. McCarthy — or at least Eliot Wolf is pushing for J.J. McCarthy, and that seems like it’s going to be the pick.
“I could understand the love for J.J. McCarthy. I don’t agree with it, but I understand it because whether it’s J.J. McCarthy or any of these Michigan kids, they have acquitted themselves well during the interview process.”
New England is looking for its quarterback of the future, so it’s not impossible that McCarthy could be the guy. It would be wise to trade back rather than taking him at No. 3 overall, though.
