The world is pretty much in unanimous agreement that USC quarterback Caleb Williams will be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft when the Chicago Bears go on the clock. But what about the No. 2 pick and the Washington Commanders?
There is growing consternation that the QB-needy Commanders kick off their new front office and coaching regime by selecting Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. The hype around McCarthy has been steadily growing since he led Michigan to the CFP Championship, with strong performances at the NFL Scouting Combine and the recent Wolverines’ pro day further augmenting the idea that McCarthy can overtake North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Heisman-winning LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels for some teams.
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Commanders are increasingly believed to be one of the teams that prefers McCarthy over the other options. Here’s what McCarthy said on Monday from the NFL owners’ meetings in Orlando,
“When I’ve had conversations here, with executives from other teams that know (new Commanders GM) Adam Peters well and know the situation well,” Pelissero reported, “The most popular answer for what they do at No. 2 is J.J. McCarthy.”
With a little over four more weeks until the draft fires up, expect a lot of smoke about various prospects — especially quarterbacks. Remember the ridiculous “Malik Willis at No. 2” hubbub back in 2022? However, the McCarthy movement has been in place since well before the college season ended, and nearly every pundit–myself included–expects McCarthy to be a top-10 overall pick.
Will McCarthy really go No. 2 to Washington? We’ll find out next month, but it shouldn’t be a surprise if it does indeed happen.