J.J. McCarthy Draft Projection: 3 best NFL landing spots for Michigan’s QB

J.J. McCarthy arrives into the NFL with a national championship in tow, after he led Michigan to the elusive title to end his college career. Having declared for the 2024 NFL draft, many quarterback-needy teams are expected to enquire about him.

He came into his own in the season prior to this one with 2,719 passing yards, 22 passing TDs and a 64.6% completion rate. He also added 306 rushing yards with five touchdowns on 70 attempts. J.J. McCarthy maintained that consistency during the championship-winning run, posting 2,991 passing yards, 22 touchdowns while maintaining a passer rating of 167.4.

J.J. McCarthy's draft profile

There are a lot of positives to be found in J.J. McCarthy's draft profile. He is an accurate thrower and can push the ball down the field with zip. Having played with Jim Harbaugh, he is also ready to read NFL defenses. He possibly has the caliber to out-duel with quarterbacks like C.J. Stroud, which he showed during his college career.

In terms of weakness, he sometimes might struggle to throw the ball outside the hash marks and on deep throws, McCarthy may rely too much on his arm than getting the mechanics correct. Also, while he is great a play action, it remains to be seen if he can perform if the run game is stopped.

J.J. McCarthy's potential landing spots

Based on his above profile, J.J. McCarthy is expected to be selected either late in the first round or in the second round. Some team might find him to be the answer to all their problems and take him earlier as well. For him, though, these are likely the best spots:

#1 - Minnesota Vikings

Going to the Minnesota Vikings would mean staying in the North and playing in an area close to where he had his college career. Furthermore, it is entirely likely that the Vikings are going to bring back Kirk Cousins for at least one more year, which would give McCarthy the opportunity to sit behind a veteran and understand the game.

Sitting behind Alex Smith certainly worked for Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. So, going to Minnesota might give the Michigan quarterback a similar opportunity. He will know that he has a clear path toward becoming the starter of the franchise but will not be under immediate pressure from the very first day as a rookie.

#2 - Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons desperately need a quarterback. They are going to look at both the 2024 NFL Draft and the free agency. There were rumors that they were interested in getting Justin Fields from Chicago. But the Bears quarterback could end up with the Pittsburgh Steelers instead since Mike Tomlin has expressed admiration from him.

If such a scenario comes to pass, the Falcons will likely have to get a quarterback in the draft, and McCarthy might find himself in an ideal situation here. He will play in one of the worst divisions in the NFL and the pressure will not be immense after last season's disappointing return when they failed to make it to the playoffs.

He will also have a young running back in Bijan Robinson to lean off the running game and play in a similar style to how he was doing in college.

#3 - Las Vegas Raiders

While J.J. McCarthy has his entire career in front of him, it will be a miracle if he can reach the levels of another legendary Michigan quarterback. Tom Brady might have been snubbed for nearly 200 picks before being picked, but it is unlikely that McCarthy will have to work that long.

In fact, the Las Vegas Raiders might end up picking him in the 2024 NFL draft. Having decided to move on from Jimmy Garoppolo, there is a vacancy there.

Antonio Pierce is an old-school coach who will ensure that the quarterback gets all the help from the defense that he can get. And the rookie quarterback will have the opportunity to get mentored by the GOAT, who is a minority owner of the franchise.

Brady was cheering him and Michigan on during their run to the national championship and J.J. McCarthy, if he can develop a rapport with Brady, could look forward to landing in a place like this, if he can.