2024 NFL Draft rumors: Will J. J. McCarthy be a top 5 pick? Michigan QB shows "no wow factor," per report

J. J. McCarthy had a top-notch college football career with the Michigan Wolverines, and he's rightfully getting a lot of hype heading into the 2024 NFL Draft.

The La Grange Park, Illinois-born quarterback is considered by many to be an early first-round pick in the upcoming Draft. However, does his skill set warrant such hype, or is he simply this year's resident overhyped QB? Let's find out:

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Will J. J. McCarthy be a top-five pick?

Examining the teams' needs in the top-five of the 2024 NFL Draft to determine McCarthy's potential landing spot is essential.

The Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and the New England Patriots all need quarterbacks, with Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye being the likely options.

While the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Chargers need franchise-altering wide receivers, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers are the likely picks. That leaves the likes of the New York Giants and Denver Broncos as the other teams with high first-round picks in need of a rookie QB.

A report described J. J. McCarthy as a fairly raw quarterback who won't wow from a talent perspective. The same report say that it will be a tough sell to invest anything more than a late first-round pick in the McCarthy project.

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Will J. J. McCarthy be the 2024 Draft's Will Levis?

Hence, it begs the question, will J. J. McCarthy be the next Will Levis? That's a valid concern, as this year's hype around McCarthy has a similar feel to last year's buzz around Will Levis.

Levis got a lot of hype after the NFL Combine but eventually slipped to the second round, where he was picked up by the Tennessee Titans. He's the current starter in Tennessee, so things worked out fine for the Kentucky product.

It's unlikely that McCarthy will experience a similar fall to Levis, as unlike the Kentucky alum, McCarthy enjoyed a very successful college football career.

He enters the NFL Draft as a current national college football champion and a key piece in the uber-dominant University of Michigan program. The chances of McCarthy falling to the second round are very slim.