Former NFL QB Believes J.J. McCarthy Will be Top-10 Pick
While this week's NFL Scouting Combine will likely light a fire under one or two quarterback prospects, the rise of Michigan star J.J. McCarthy seems unstoppable regardless. Previous second- or third-round projections attached to McCarthy now appear to have been consigned to ancient history.
All of a sudden, the Denver Broncos might have to orchestrate an expensive trade-up from their 12th overall spot to even get a shot at drafting McCarthy.
Brady Quinn, former NFL quarterback-turned-CBS Sports analyst, is already a firm believer in McCarthy's prodigious skill set — to such an extent that Quinn is predicting the 21-year-old will catapult into the top-10 selections.
"To me, he's going to end up being a top 10 pick when it's all said and done," Quinn said during a recent appearance on CBS Sports HQ. "I think teams are going to love his ability to create and his ability to take off and run, too."
Many QBs have seen meteoric rises in the past, but that's normally due to sheer arm strength or eye-catching mobility. Quinn believes McCarthy's stock is rising because of the package of things he does with on-point consistency. Doing the right things within an offense has huge merit for head coaches, and of course, it's already won McCarthy a bucket full of games at Michigan.
"This is a team that's really run the football incredibly well," Quinn said of Michigan. "[McCarthy] hasn't had to necessarily dominate games. I'll still go back to when he's had to do it, he's showcased the ability to. ... He's able to layer the ball which is another thing to always hear talked about this time of year. The ability to get it over one defender, but in front of the next or inside a tight window.. He showcases all of that. We just didn't see it as much as we saw with a lot of other quarterbacks who threw the football more."
After McCarthy declared for the draft, multiple analysts cast doubt on his body of work simply because he wasn't the sole focus within the Wolverines' run-heavy offense. Quinn isn't inclined to agree, and he's confident that McCarthy's underutilized ability to make tight-window throws should give him an ideal platform for future success in the pros.
McCarthy has undoubtedly positioned himself well, especially as the Combine and pro days loom. Armed with an outstanding 27-1 collegiate record, it's a gimme that teams will be keen to interview McCarthy at the first possible opportunity.
Which bodes nicely for McCarthy and his bank balance. For the quarterback-needy Broncos, it's less-than-ideal news.
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