Michigan Football: How High Will JJ McCarthy be Drafted?

It's NFL combine week! That means that 18 Michigan football players are going to have the opportunity to boost their draft stock by showing out in drills, interviews, and tests. Under Jim Harbaugh and Ben Herbert, Michigan players have typically boosted their draft stock at the combine by showing elite physical traits.

Last year, for example, Mazi Smith did 34 bench press reps, which boosted him into the first round. Luke Schoonmaker had a tremendous combine all around, making him a second round choice. But arguably nobody boosted their draft stock more than cornerback DJ Turner, whose elite athleticism vaulted him into the second round.

This year should be much of the same. I'd expect many players to boost their draft stock significantly by showing elite physical attributes. Some guys like Kris Jenkins, Roman Wilson, Junior Colson, and many more should benefit. But today, we're going to hone in on one player. Quarterback JJ McCarthy.

McCarthy is somewhat a controversial prospect, at least in the eyes of many media personalities. He didn't put up elite stats in college, or even great stats for that matter. Because of that, many in the media have laughed at the idea of McCarthy being a top 10 pick, or even a first round pick. There's a notion that he is a tier below Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and even Michael Penix or Bo Nix.

However, NFL executives seem to have a very different view. Lately, many mock drafts have been boosting McCarthy near the top 10. There have been reports that the league is much higher on McCarthy than the media, and it's easy to understand if you think about it.