J.J. McCarthy, QB Michigan: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

McCarthy was a four-star recruit from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. and Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Ill. in the class of 2021

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is inconsistent, but he showed flashes of first round-caliber talent in his first season as a full-time starter. Assuming he continues developing, McCarthy could be the third-best quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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J.J. McCarthy, QB Michigan: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Junior quarterback from La Grange Park, Ill.

Background: McCarthy was a four-star recruit from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. and Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park, Ill. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 25 (five-star) recruit according to 247Sports, No. 45 (four-star) for Rivals, and No. 47 (four-star) for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 25th (four-star) in the nation with an 88 grade out of 100. McCarthy finished his high school career with a 36-2 record, 7,905 passing yards, 94 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. As a senior at IMG, he led his team to an 8-0 record by outscoring opponents 381-82 during the season. IMG finished the season as the 2020 National Champions. That year, McCarthy completed 92 of 165 pass attempts for 1,392 yards, 16 touchdowns, and no interceptions. He was the 2020 MaxPreps Florida High School Football Player of the Year. McCarthy passed for 2,820 yards and 34 touchdowns as a junior at Nazareth Academy, leading his team to the state title game. As a sophomore, he led his team to a 13-1 record and the Class 7A state championship by completing 182 of 240 pass attempts for 3,448 yards, 39 touchdowns, and four interceptions. McCarthy was the first underclassman to win the News-Gazette All-State Illinois Player of the Year award (2019). He was also the 2019 Chicago Pioneer Press Offensive Player of the Year. McCarthy was selected to participate in the 2021 All-American Bowl and the 2021 Polynesian Bowl. He also played lacrosse at Nazareth and has a background in hockey. McCarthy was born on Jan. 20, 2003.

Injuries & Off-Field: Limited in the spring of 2022 by a shoulder injury from 2021

Awards: 2022 Second Team All-Big Ten (Media), 2022 Third Team All-Big Ten (Coaches)

Pros: Connected on a 57-air-yard passing touchdown vs. TCU (2022), steps into throws and drives the ball with good velocity to beat tight windows, throws with touch to all levels of the field, throws a catchable ball, layers the ball between the second and third level, helped his offense with deep completions or defensive pass interference calls on deep passes, some lapses but generally sees the field well, vision improved over the course of 2022, accuracy and ball placement on intermediate and deep throws are impressive for a one-year starter, willing to take punishing hits to get the ball out, mobility to escape the pocket, extend plays, or create with his legs, keeps eyes downfield when rolling out, comfortable throwing on the run, finds open receivers on extended plays, tougher runner than frame suggests, does damage with his legs, good vision as a ball carrier

Cons: Fumbled four times in 2021 and nine times in 2022, lean throughout his frame, played behind an excellent offensive line that let him hold the ball for too long, doesn’t know when to just take the checkdown or throw the ball away, gets a little toesy in the pocket, wish his feet and upper body were more aligned during the throwing motion, stares down targets, stares down receivers giving linemen a chance to get their hands up, gets stuck on reads, vision doesn’t reveal lurking second-level defenders, forces throws while being sacked, too much hero ball, mental clock and processing need to speed up, throwing motion occasionally includes an extended windup, bit of a sidearm launch point, dropback includes unnecessary steps, can’t get ideal velocity on a throw unless he steps into it, needs to lead receivers more, needs to throw with anticipation more often, accuracy dips when throwing with anticipation, accuracy on the move declines, challenges disadvantageous coverage when his receiver doesn’t have leverage, overestimates his arm talent on some deep attempts, his outside throws allow driving defenders to undercut the receivers for interceptions, passes to out routes are frequently undercut and broken up, out routes really give him trouble, intermediate throws are frequently behind pass catchers and give defenders a play on the ball

Overview: McCarthy flashed immense potential in his first season as Michigan’s full-time starter. The Wolverines are a run-first offense, but head coach Jim Harbaugh should let McCarthy play more of a lead role in 2023. The junior lacks elite arm talent but is more than adequate in this area. He connected on a 57-air-yard passing touchdown vs. TCU (2022) and drives the ball with good velocity to beat tight windows when he has room to step into the throw. Some of the elite arm talents in college football, like Joe Milton and Cameron Ward, can create off-platform without stepping into throws to put ideal velocity on the ball. McCarthy isn’t in that category. He needs to step into the throw to get the ball out the way he wants. McCarthy throws a catchable ball to all levels of the field with touch. He layers passes between the defense’s second and third levels. His throwing motion includes an extended windup, especially on deep passes. McCarthy unnecessarily uses a sidearm launch point at times. His dropback includes unnecessary steps, and he becomes toesy in the pocket. McCarthy’s lower body mechanics need to improve. His feet and upper body aren’t consistently aligned during his throwing motion. The former four-star recruit has some lapses in vision but generally sees the field well. His vision improved over the course of 2022, but he still occasionally overlooks second-level defenders sneaking into his throwing lanes. It doesn’t help that McCarthy stares down his targets, giving defenders time to jump routes or get their hands into throwing lanes. He shows his inexperience by getting stuck on reads every now and then. The Illinois native’s accuracy and ball placement on intermediate and deep throws are impressive for a one-year starter. He still needs to lead receivers more and throw with anticipation more often. McCarthy’s accuracy dips when he attempts to throw on the run or throw with anticipation. He overestimates his arm talent on some deep attempts. The All-Big Ten selection challenges disadvantageous coverages when his receiver doesn’t have leverage. He consistently struggles to deliver the ball on out routes in a way that prevents the defender from undercutting the route. His ball placement on intermediate throws is sometimes behind his targets and gives the defender a play on the ball. Despite his lean frame, McCarthy is willing to take punishing hits to get the ball out, but he forces throws while being sacked. His mobility allows him to escape the pocket, extend plays, and gash defenses with his legs. McCarthy keeps his eyes downfield when rolling out and is comfortable throwing on the run. He’s a much tougher ball carrier than his frame suggests. However, he plays too much hero ball and needs to speed up his mental clock and processing. McCarthy fumbled four times in 2021 and nine times in 2022. He plays behind an excellent offensive line that lets him hold the ball for too long. McCarthy doesn’t know when to take the checkdown or throw the ball away. He needs to learn those lessons before entering the NFL.

Overall, McCarthy carries plenty of flaws into 2023, but he consistently flashes the foundational elements needed to succeed at both the college and pro levels. Another year of experience will iron out some of McCarthy’s inconsistencies and elevate an already good prospect into the first round discussion.

Role & Scheme Fit: Mobile quarterback in a spread offense

Round Projection: Second Round

Size: 6'3", 196 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 06-20-23