2024 NFL Mock Draft Trends have J.J. McCarthy closing in on top tier quarterback prospects
Every year it seems there is one quarterback prospect who rises late in the NFL Draft process and hears their name called earlier than many originally expected. This year it looks like that prospect will be J.J. McCarthy In the last few weeks NFL mock drafts have begun selecting him inside the first half of […]
Every year it seems there is one quarterback prospect who rises late in the NFL Draft process and hears their name called earlier than many originally expected. This year it looks like that prospect will be J.J. McCarthy
In the last few weeks NFL mock drafts have begun selecting him inside the first half of the first round yet again. McCarthy quickly became the betting favorite to be selected by the Vikings last week as rumors started circulating that he was their guy. The first round rumblings for McCarthy are really starting to gain momentum.
The NFL mock draft tool, Grinding the Mocks (created by former Football Outsiders' Benjamin Robinson), tracks every mock draft on the internet to help us visualize current prospect consensus. As you can see below, J.J. McCarthy saw a slight dip to his stock in January, but he's been quickly rising in recent weeks.
This week McCarthy has been selected inside the first half of the first round multiple times as his stock continues to climb towards the top tier of Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (UNC), and Jayden Daniels (LSU).
Jayden Daniels was the fastest riser from the start of the 2023 College Football season through his Heisman ceremony, but McCarthy has just steadily been rising for months. He's the 16th overall prospect according to mock draft consensus this month and still trending up.
The one notable name who is absent from the first round projections at quarterback is Michael Penix Jr. of Washington. He had an incredible season, leading Washington to the national championship game, but since his loss there his stock has taken a nose dive (as you can see below).
It seems the battle for first round capital is down to five potential quarterback options. If McCarthy continues to climb he'll likely land right next to the top tier options. Bo Nix could also be in the mix near the top, but his hype has leveled off since his ho-hum Senior Bowl performance.
For more on the top quarterbacks and where they could find themselves selected in the 2024 NFL Draft check out the latest video from the A to Z Film Room below!
