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Where J.J. McCarthy will be drafted into the NFL late next month is still unknown. The former Michigan Wolverines quarterback recently had a boost in his draft stock due to a strong performance at the combine.
But the league's quarterback landscape changed with the opening of free agency last week. Many QBs, including Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, landed on new teams, leaving open spaces that could be filled by one of the many quarterbacks in the draft.
McCarthy is one of those, but college football analyst Lance Zierlein tweeted that a surprise team is a big fan of McCarthy:
" Had a discussion with a position coach for a team who doesn't need QB who couldn't stop gushing about JJ McCarthy.... has a real shot of being QB3."
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During his time at the Wolverines, McCarthy often made plays out of nothing and was incredibly consistent. In both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he threw 22 touchdowns and made 2,719 and 2,991 yards, respectively.
However, while McCarthy was a strong part of an offense that won the most recent national championship, he was not the offense's most important player. That was running back Blake Corum, and the Wolverines' heavy reliance on the run game may make some teams think that McCarthy may struggle in a pass-heavy offense.
McCarthy's strong performance at the NFL combine removed some of these worries and has made him potentially a top three quarterback.
Which team could have been the one that Zierlein, a draft analyst for NFL.com, alluded to?
Which team was talking about JJ McCarthy?
In his tweet, Lance Zierlein described the team as not needing a quarterback. Which team could this be?
One potential answer is the New York Giants. While some may say that they need a quarterback to replace the inconsistent Daniel Jones, the Giants are staying committed to him for 2024. This, paired with the signing this week of Drew Lock, means that they may not be in the hunt for a QB in this draft.
Another potential team is the Arizona Cardinals, who have the fifth pick of the draft. They recently signed Desmond Ridder to back up Kyler Murray. The Cardinals also have Clayton Tune, whom they drafted in the fifth round last year. Could the Cardinals bring in McCarthy to replace Tune or to put the pressure on both Murray and Ridder?
