Tag: JJ McCarthy

Seahawks scouts share Jim Harbaugh joke with JJ McCarthy

Seahawks scouts make ‘Jim Harbaugh’ joke to JJ McCarthy

The annual scouting combine is well underway in Indianapolis. The Seattle Seahawks, like every team, is of course in attendance to meet with the top prospects in the 2024 NFL draft. One position Seattle should absolutely focus on is quarterback, and it seems they are doing so.

The Seahawks have apparently met with Michigan’s National Championship winning quarterback JJ McCarthy. During an interview, McCarthy did mention how Seattle’s scouts did crack a quick joke at him regarding the rivalry between his former head coach Jim Harbaugh and theirs, Pete Carroll.

Carroll and Harbaugh’s rivalry was legendary. It started in the (now former) Pac-12 when both men were the leaders at USC and Stanford, respectively. It followed them to the NFL when they were the top dogs for the Seahawks and 49ers. Carroll ultimately had the last laugh when he defeated Harbaugh in the 2013 NFC Championship en route to Seattle’s triumphant Super Bowl XLVIII victory two weeks later. Carroll ultimately edged Harbaugh out in the NFL with a 5-4 record, winning the last three-straight.

Interestingly, the Seahawks have met with McCarthy, and not Michael Penix Jr. of Washington. However, it is only Friday, and the Scouting Combine will last until Sunday.

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J.J. McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr. delivered the best NFL combine highlights from … a hallway

The best NFL combine highlights came from … a hallway.

Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and his Washington counterpart Michael Penix Jr. are among the quarterbacks who will reportedly throw in front of scouts at the 2024 NFL combine, unlike other stud QBs who will do it at their pro days.

But we already saw them show off their stuff … in a hallway.

I don’t know exactly where this is in Indianapolis — in the convention center, I’m guessing? — but it’s so fun to see them sling passes through the halls, with people casually watching. All I know is the NFL Network needs to be televising these along with the rest of the coverage.

Here you go:

2024 NFL draft: 3 potential backup quarterbacks to Justin Herbert for Chargers to watch at Combine

Here are a few quarterbacks expected to test well at the Combine who the Los Angeles Chargers could target to back up Justin Herbert.

The 2024 NFL Combine begins this week, with 321 prospects due to attend the event in Indianapolis.

The Chargers, along with the league’s other 31 teams, will use the results to solidify their draft board, bringing their plans for April into greater focus.

Here are four quarterbacks for Los Angeles to watch at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The latest 2024 NFL mock draft from The Ringer has the Falcons taking J.J. McCarthy in the top-10

Would you be happy with this, Falcons fans?

The drumbeat over how Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy could be a first-rounder is getting louder as the 2024 NFL Combine approaches. Maybe after that, he’s solidified as a Day 1 pick.

But … is he a top-10 pick? As in, would a QB-starved team go for him after, say, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels get taken? In the latest NFL mock draft from our Christian D’Andrea, he’s not in the first round. But in the mock draft from The Ringer, McCarthy isn’t just a first-round — he’s going No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons, who definitely need a quarterback. Intriuging!

Here’s the reasoning from Benjamin Solak:

Do I like this? No. Are Falcons fans furious with me? Probably. I don’t know what you want! The league is telling us this is going to happen. There are rumors McCarthy will go in the top 15, and this is one of the landing spots that makes sense. McCarthy reads to me as a Purdy-like quarterback in a Shanahan/McVay system: He has a quick release and movement skills, so as long as he does what his play caller tells him to, he can make the system go and add a little scramble stuff on top.

Make sure to check out our latest post-Super Bowl mock from Christian D’Andrea!

The latest ESPN NFL Draft rankings has 4 QBs in the top 30 in 2024

Marvin Harrison Jr. is tops in the draft rankings … but four QBs are in the top 30.

The last time we read about ESPN’s 2024 NFL Draft rankings from Jordan Reid, we found out that the No. 1 prospect wasn’t a quarterback — it was Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who seems like a generational talent.

That wasn’t the biggest of surprises, given that teams draft for need and not always for talent. In the latest mock from our Christian D’Andrea, he has a quarterback at the top of the draft in North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]

But Reid has Harrison at the top again in his draft rankings, along with four QBs in the top 30: Maye, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels … and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy at No. 30:

McCarthy will be one of the most talked about prospects in this draft cycle. In a Michigan offense that leans on the run and incorporates play-action principles, he only reached 25 or more passing attempts in 12 of his 28 career starts. Scouts wanted to see more. That said, McCarthy displayed ball placement, anticipation and mobility when he has been allowed to throw the ball, outside of an uncharacteristically poor three-interception performance against Bowling Green early last season. His 88.2 QBR and 72.3% completion percentage were both top-six numbers in the country in 2023.

Make sure to check out Christian D’Andrea’s latest NFL mock draft.

The latest NFL mock draft from NFL.com has the Rams taking J.J. McCarthy

This would make sense for the Rams.

The first-round buzz surrounding Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy continues to grow louder.

We’ve seen multiple NFL mock drafts in recent weeks have the Wolverines QB going in the first round, although in the latest mock from our Christian D’Andrea, he’s not in the mix.

In Eric Edholm’s new mock from NFL.com, McCarthy is a first-round pick … and he’s going to the Los Angeles Rams in this scenario, which is intriguing given that Matthew Stafford is turning 36 later this week. It would make a lot of sense to have a young QB waiting in the wings at this point.

Here’s what Edholm had to say about the pick:

The Rams’ first first-round selection since they took Jared Goff at No. 1 overall is another quarterback — go figure. Matthew Stafford might be approaching the 17th green of his career, and McCarthy needs time to marinate his fascinating toolset. He’s a Midwest kid, but McCarthy has displayed some California cool in crunch time — and he’s savvy enough to digest Sean McVay’s system.

There you have it! Make sure to check out Christian D’Andrea’s latest NFL mock draft.

Rams select QB J.J. McCarthy in 1st round of NFL.com mock draft

A new mock draft from NFL.com has the Rams selecting QB J.J. McCarthy in Round 1, which would be a bold move

Matthew Stafford will return as the Rams’ starting quarterback in 2024, but there are major questions about who will back him up and who could replace him after he retires, whenever that may be. With that in mind, it’s entirely possible Les Snead and Sean McVay will select a quarterback in the first round of the draft this year.

There are other positions that need to be addressed, ones with more glaring holes, but quarterback is the most important position in sports and the Rams aren’t exactly set up for the future.

That’s why NFL.com’s Eric Edholm has them selecting a quarterback at No. 19 overall in his latest mock draft. He slotted Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy to the Rams in Round 1, which would be a bold and polarizing move by Los Angeles.

The Rams’ first first-round selection since they took Jared Goff at No. 1 overall is another quarterback — go figure. Matthew Stafford might be approaching the 17th green of his career, and McCarthy needs time to marinate his fascinating toolset. He’s a Midwest kid, but McCarthy has displayed some California cool in crunch time — and he’s savvy enough to digest Sean McVay’s system.

McCarthy was a very good college quarterback who led Michigan to a national championship this past season. He threw 44 touchdown passes and only nine interceptions in the last two seasons, averaging an impressive 8.7 yards per attempt.

As we all know, of course, college numbers don’t always translate to NFL success. McCarthy could be a first-rounder but he’s not in the class of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels at the top of the draft. That’s what makes this pick tougher to get behind. It’s not the position, it’s the player.

The latest 2024 NFL mock draft from CBS has the Vikings trading up for J.J. McCarthy

Would this make sense for the Vikings?

The Minnesota Vikings need a quarterback of the future, whether Kirk Cousins comes back or not.

Could that QB be Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy after he won a national championship?

In our latest mock from Christian D’Andrea, McCarthy wasn’t a first-round quarterback, but the newest mock draft from CBS has him going at No. 27 to the Vikes, who would trade up into the first round with the Cardinals to grab McCarthy, a win-win for both sides of that deal since Arizona has a QB in Kyler Murray.

What’s the reasoning here? Check out what Josh Edwards had to say about it:

After adding a pass-rusher with their first-round selection, the Vikings trade back up for a Kirk Cousins replacement. J.J. McCarthy is a proven winner and a quarterback who gives the franchise hope for the future.

There you have it! Make sure to check out Christian D’Andrea’s latest NFL mock draft.

The first 2024 NFL mock draft from Mel Kiper Jr. has Bears taking Caleb Williams; J.J. McCarthy taken in the first round

Could J.J. McCarthy really go in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft? Mel Kiper Jr. thinks it’s possible.

Mel Kiper Jr. has officially entered 2024 NFL mock draft season.

With all but four of the picks set in the current NFL draft order, the longtime ESPN NFL draft expert has dropped his first mock of the year, and although he doesn’t project trades in this one, he’s got USC’s Caleb Williams going No. 1 overall and four QBs in the first round. In our latest mock from Christian D’Andrea, there are also four QBs off the board, but not Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy as Kiper has.

Kiper has the national champ going 16th to the Seattle Seahawks, who have Geno Smith under center, but perhaps the franchise wants to roll the dice on a future QB. Here’s Kiper’s take:

OK, here’s a spot for the next quarterback. While I don’t have a first-round grade on McCarthy right now — a lot can change before Round 1 on April 25 — he does have first-round arm talent, along with the ability to beat defenses with his legs. He’s the type of quarterback teams will take a shot at in the middle of the first round, especially when you consider he just turned 21 a few days ago. He rarely turns the ball over — he threw 44 touchdown passes and had nine picks over the past two seasons — and can make every throw. McCarthy just wasn’t asked to beat teams with his arm for the Wolverines, because they so often dominated at the line of scrimmage. As of now, I’m betting on a team seeing his upside and trying to take him somewhere in the teens.

For Seattle, the contract Geno Smith signed last March made it clear the team could get out after one season. Smith had a decent season (20 TD passes, 9 INTs), but will he really be here long-term? I could see the Seahawks severing ties and starting fresh for whomever the new coach ends up being.

There you have it! Check out Christian D’Andrea’s latest NFL mock draft.

Vikings 2024 7 round mock draft 1.0: What if they can’t say no to a WR?

What would the Minnesota Vikings do if Malik Nabers was available at 11th overall? The first of many 2024 NFL mock drafts explores that idea

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.

Each week throughout the leadup to the NFL draft, I will be doing different seven round mock drafts for the Vikings as a way to explore different scenarios. You never know who might fall to you and how that could cause a ripple effect and being ready for those situations is paramount come draft weekend.

In the first rendition, LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers somehow falls to 11th overall and that could change the way the Vikings address their roster and draft picks.