Over the last couple of months, the general agreement on the top 3 choices in the 2024 NFL Draft has been Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye. Williams is anticipated to be the first pick, while Daniels and Maye are competing for the second and third spots. As a result, the New England Patriots, who have the third pick, are widely believed to be selecting one of the latter two.
Nevertheless, a recent mock draft has the Patriots making a different choice. They are still expected to choose a quarterback, but not one of the previously mentioned top picks: JJ McCarthy.
According to the latest mock draft by Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports, McCarthy’s draft position has risen significantly, and he could be selected as high as the third overall pick by the Patriots. Before the NFL Scouting Combine, McCarthy was projected to be a mid to late first-round pick. However, his impressive performance at the Combine has led many to believe that he will be chosen earlier. CBS Sports was evidently impressed enough to place McCarthy at such a high position in their mock draft.
Wilson mentioned that McCarthy has exhibited similar attributes to those displayed by Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud during last year’s combine. Given Houston’s success with Stroud, McCarthy could potentially have a similar impact. McCarthy is a divisive figure in this class, and I must confess, I had doubts about his worthiness of a first-round pick. It’s not because he lacks talent (his athleticism and arm strength are impressive), but because he had limited opportunities in Michigan’s offense,” Wilson explained. “However, if you review his throws on third down and in the 6 to 10-yard range, you’ll find that he completed 73% of his attempts—many of which were NFL-caliber throws—with 5 touchdowns and no turnovers. Moreover, when we spoke to him at the combine, his charisma and leadership were palpable. I understand that some may think we were swayed by the moment, but I’ll say this: when we interviewed C.J. Stroud at the combine last year, those same qualities were unmistakably evident, and they certainly contributed to his outstanding rookie season.
