JJ McCarthy of Michigan Wolverines looking to throw.JJ McCarthy (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
One NFL GM is reportedly working extensively to convince his team that they need to take Michigan Wolverines quarterback JJ McCarthy in a move that would completely shake up the 2024 NFL Draft.

At this point, it’s a foregone conclusion that the Chicago Bears will use the No. 1 selection on USC quarterback Caleb Williams. It’s anybody’s guess on who the Washington Commanders will take at No. 2 between JJ McCarthy, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

And unless they trade down, the New England Patriots are sure to take a quarterback with the No. 3 pick as well. Many have assumed for a while now that they would take whoever remains between Maye and Daniels, but de facto GM Eliot Wolf reportedly has his eyes set on the national championship-winning QB.

According to a report from Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda, Wolf wants the Patriots to take JJ McCarthy with the No. 3 selection:

“I’m not big on McCarthy being a top-10 selection, but the UM signal caller to New England was the buzz on the pro-day circuit. De facto general manager Eliot Wolf is pushing hard for McCarthy, and he believes he has as much upside as any quarterback in this draft.”

Though some scouts believe McCarthy has a limited ceiling and was carried by a strong rushing game and defense, others rave about his accuracy, big-game performances and accurate deep balls.

The 21-year-old McCarthy went 27-1 over his two seasons at Michigan, leading the school to a national championship game victory over the Washington Huskies. In his final year of college football, McCarthy threw for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns against only four interceptions.

JJ McCarthy Makes Sense For Plenty Of Teams

It’s hard to predict just where exactly JJ McCarthy will land in the draft, but he unquestionably makes perfect sense for several QB-needy teams.

There’s a case to be made that the Patriots should take him if he’s available at No. 3. But the New York Giants (No.6), Minnesota Vikings (No. 11), Denver Broncos (No. 12) and Las Vegas Raiders (No. 13) would also be good landing spots for JJ McCarthy.