JJ McCarthy is one of the more polarizing prospects in recent drafts. We see a vast spectrum of narratives around the national champion quarterback. Is he a top-10 pick, or is he a glorified game manager whose team carried him to a national title? I’m here to plant my flag for the former.
JJ McCarthy is an innately skilled QB with good athletic tools and an uncommon zip on his throws. In a day of college football where the wide hash, wide receiver choice offense is trendy, we saw Sherrone Moore at Michigan take a ground-and-pound, heavy 12-personnel approach. And of course, why wouldn’t you when you possess a running back room featuring two All-American level talents in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards? However, for every attempt those two stud tailbacks got, it took one away from JJ. This is where the game manager narrative begins to come into the line of discussion.
Another contributing factor to the JJ McCarthy hate was the 32 straight run attempts we saw Michigan call against Penn State. I think this stat has been massively overblown, as McCarthy injured himself earlier in the game and couldn’t bear weight on his ankle. I believe the positives outweigh the negatives in a case like McCarthy’s. In the film, we see a high rate of single high coverage, which is known as a middle field closed coverage shell. We see McCarthy’s impressive ability to hit his outbreaking routes on the sideline by reading the leverage of his defender.
The most impressive work McCarthy does is fitting throws into tight windows over the middle of the field. While yes, these attempts can get dangerous and lead to some turnover-worthy plays, I think McCarthy’s moxy and confidence allow him to make these throws with no fear. Another wrinkle McCarthy has is his ability to make plays with his legs. We see some QB’s have pocket mobility, but not running ability.
With McCarthy, it’s apparent that he not only can make plays navigating the pocket, but he can be a valuable piece to a team’s run game. McCarthy is a really fun watch, you see the competitiveness on tape similar to that of Will Levis. However, there is no perfect prospect and McCarthy certainly has his share of flaws. Firstly, his frame is not ideal, he’s listed at 6’3, 202 lbs. he’s pretty skinny for someone whose running ability is a key cog in his playstyle. I’d assume there’s plenty of room to put on some weight, and I would think he’ll have some added weight come combine time in Indianapolis.
Another pretty glaring weakness is the deep ball accuracy down the sideline. He’ll miss low, he’ll miss high, he’ll miss short, he’ll miss long. McCarthy doesn’t discriminate when it comes to ways he’ll miss a deep throw. For an NFL QB that deep sideline throw just has to be one you have in your bag of throws. McCarthy will also have reps where he just doesn’t see an open man. He’ll have crossers come open and elect to take the check down without keeping his eyes downfield. That may be that McCarthy has an internal clock and he’s just programmed to be conservative inside the confines of the Michigan offense. That’s a negative trait I believe higher-level coaching can help work out.
All in all, McCarthy is a pretty unpolished prospect with lots of room to grow. I like the way McCarthy plays the game and I view him to be pretty special in certain areas, especially in the play-action game. As for where I’d like to see McCarthy, as I watched his film I kept thinking to myself, “Wow, I’d love for this player to go and sit behind Matt Stafford for a year and take over that Sean McVay heavy play action wide-zone offense.” However, it seems McCarthy will be drafted well before the Rams have the opportunity to select him, but there is a team that’ll be in prime JJ McCarthy range who just hired a good chunk of McVay’s staff to lead an offense in the NFC South.
I view JJ McCarthy to be a great fit for the Atlanta Falcons who select 8th in April’s draft. McCarthy in Atlanta with that group of weapons, along with a solidified run game, and an offensive line with a mix of young players and proven veteran starters. Behind Zac Robinson’s tutelage and heavy Shanahan/McVay-influenced wide-zone offensive scheme I believe McCarthy makes Atlanta the division favorite, and in a few years possibly a contender in the NFC.
So, yes, I view JJ McCarthy as a Top 10 pick and a Top 32 overall talent in this draft. If you enjoyed this please visit the site again for more prospect breakdowns.