J.J. McCarthy: NFL Draft profile, Delusion Football & Dynasty outlook, beefy scouting document, more

J.J. McCarthy is one of basically the most polarizing potentialities in the 2024 NFL Draft, and never lower than publicly, he is viewed his inventory upward thrust immensely over the final two months. Needless to inform, some will expose you McCarthy has been regarded as a that you would perchance per chance per chance perchance also indulge in of top-10 draft possess shut overall veritably by NFL expertise evaluators who work for groups, however the media and fans are now handsome catching up. There are intangible traits that McCarthy possesses that will form him handsome to some fashioned managers and head coaches, in conjunction with his spend-loss document and National Championship victory — which in piece led his ragged coach Jim Harbaugh to name him the appropriate quarterback in Michigan history and in the 2024 class. It be laborious to salvage somewhat there with McCarthy after staring at his tape, however there are in fact traits to salvage obsessed with each and each of his NFL potentialities and for what he can command to the Delusion Football landscape.

A 247Sports activities four-famous particular person composite prospect, McCarthy became one of many tip quarterback potentialities in his high school class and he performed in a talented-vogue offense on the high school level sooner than having fun with in one more educated-vogue offense at Michigan — this will probably even be handsome for NFL GMs and coaches.

Age as of Week 1: 21 | Top: 6-foot-2 2/4 | Weight: 219 | Hand: 9

Similar physique-form to: Jimmy Garoppolo

We’re breaking down all the pieces you would favor know about McCarthy from a Delusion supervisor perspective, in conjunction with ideal fits, Dynasty outlook, measurables, scouting document, key stats and an NFL comparability.

Dynasty outlook

McCarthy is such a young prospect that he requires more projection, however his age coming into the NFL — and his “breakout” age on the collegiate level will in fact entice Dynasty managers. Playing in a talented-vogue offense each and each at Michigan and the high school level would perchance per chance per chance give him a leg up on the NFL level when it comes to when he is willing to delivery out or play in an NFL sport. McCarthy’s potential situation projects ideal for an offensive machine from the Kyle Shanahan tree and his touchdown predicament will play a role in how fleet he can transition to the NFL (plus his ceiling as a quarterback on his first contract). Our resident Dynasty educated Heath Cummings ranks him as a principal-round possess shut (succor conclude) and the 11th overall prospect. In our most most modern SuperFlex Dynasty rookie-handiest mock draft, McCarthy came off the board with the 10th overall possess shut.

Top probably reasonable Delusion fits

Minnesota Vikings

McCarthy can match into any educated-vogue offense however his ideal match shall be in a West Tear machine that comes from the Shanahan-McVay tree — he meets a ultimate match with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. This also represents an gleaming match for McCarthy because O’Connell is one of basically the most pass-heavy play callers in the NFL, the Vikings possess the appropriate broad receiver in soccer in Justin Jefferson, and so that they even possess T.J. Hockenson, Jordan Addison and an above-moderate offensive line. The Vikings would perchance deserve to replace up in the draft to develop McCarthy.

Unique York Giants

Despite no longer touchdown in an offensive machine from the McVay-Shanahan tree, connecting with the Giants is a stable comfort for McCarthy given the true fact that he’d be working with Brian Daboll and ragged quarterback (and coach of Patrick Mahomes) Mike Kafka. Daboll did an gleaming job molding one of many rawest prospect in NFL history (Josh Allen) into an elite participant, got basically the most someone would perchance per chance per chance out of Daniel Jones in 2022 and even found some success with UDFA Tommy DeVito. McCarthy is a increasing prospect on the youthful aspect and would perchance per chance per chance salvage pleasure from Daboll’s tutelage. This is able to be more of a long-term Delusion match. 

Scouting document

Strengths

• McCarthy has a concise and compact shipping of the soccer with out a long in the ruin conclude up and diminutive wasted circulation.
• McCarthy’s footwork and upper physique keep effectively connected all the blueprint through his pass makes an strive.
• McCarthy reveals evolved traits from a trend standpoint similar to how he operates the play-action passing sport. McCarthy snaps his head around on play action and gets his physique (and toes) squared and connected like a extinct on these play-action makes an strive.
• No longer afraid to form tight-window throws that require velocity and timing — the ones I admire to consult with as “Sunday throws” because they are into windows that have to no longer handiest available on the collegiate level.

• Reveals gleaming poise when making throws from the pocket below stress — no longer afraid to form a throw even when he is conscious of the note-through will end result in him getting hit by the defender.

• McCarthy throws with better ball placement when throwing to his good — he also throws with more velocity to his good.

• Shows the potential to throw off platform while on the switch, specifically to his good (throwing shoulder). McCarthy doesn’t deserve to possess a balanced putrid or squared shoulders to spend ball placement and velocity when compelled out of structure.
• McCarthy also displays the potential to replace his arm slot with a fluctuate of throws from a quantity of arm angles.

• Better-than-marketed athlete in the 92nd percentile amongst all quarterbacks when it comes to three-cone checking out (6.82 seconds). This drill reveals off replace of route and lateral agility — these items are evident on McCarthy’s tape when he is scrambling to throw or in the starting up discipline as a runner.

• McCarthy does an gleaming job using the middle of the discipline as a passer attributable to his timing, velocity and ball placement away from coverage. Right here is serious from a projection standpoint because on the NFL-level the principles are a quantity of than college (the hash marks) and the starting up air-the-quantity throws and blueprint have to no longer often available. It be necessary for quarterbacks to be fixed using the middle of the discipline.

• Sophisticated competitor who will have interaction huge hits and salvage good succor up — McCarthy has a background as a hockey participant.
• McCarthy has a stable mental clock in his head when it comes to stress and pockets collapsing. He struggles every so veritably to name A gap blitzes and free pass rushers on blitzes sooner than the snap, however that will come with expertise. His pocket manipulation and presence are separate and evolved for the place he is at in his trend.
• Distinguished enchancment from 2022 to 2023 — specifically in judging how he faced the the same defenses — vs. Ohio Voice in 2022, vs. Ohio Voice in 2023. The adaptation became a quarterback who improved in put up-snap processing — no longer locking on to his first read — and also he had more solutions for stress.
• Some examples of McCarthy altering protections on the road of scrimmage and checking from pass to bustle plays in step with what the defense is displaying — an gleaming advancement for a quarterback prospect as young as McCarthy.
• McCarthy also has an improvisational potential to how he plays the game out of structure that would perchance per chance ruin up in huge plays that alter video games.

• Led a few runs in the College Football Playoff in conjunction with a hit the 2023 National Championship — he mixed in two college playoff video games to throw for 361 passing yards with three touchdowns, no interceptions and one more 56 yards rushing on seven carries.

Concerns

• McCarthy struggles to salvage the timing, touch and trajectory a really great on occasion when throwing the vertical routes — specifically when throwing vertically to his left.
• McCarthy every so veritably struggles with distance on vertical throws as effectively as throwing into blueprint — every so veritably this ends in broad receivers having to conclude their routes to let the pass try gain up to them.

• Talking of throwing his left — McCarthy’s mechanics salvage out of whack. Right here is correctable with the good instructing. Nate Tice did an gleaming job offering examples:

• McCarthy struggles with ball placement when throwing out routes and in direction of the sideline, delivery air the numbers when he is throwing to his left. He also has misses on tape when throwing the out routes to his good, however there are also counterexamples of discipline-aspect throws to his good that are thrown with plus velocity and ball placement.

Stats breakdown

Developed stats to know

(Courtesy of evolved stats extraordinaire Dave Richard — you would perchance per chance per chance perchance gather his breakdowns of the opposite quarterbacks in the 2024 class here.)

• When forced over 113 dropbacks final one year, McCarthy tried 82 passes, done 63.4% of them with a 12.2% off-aim rate for 9.5 yards per try on an 11.4 ADOT. This led the “huge five” in completion rate and became tied for the appropriate off-aim rate with a 2nd-ideal yards per try in the succor of Daniels. Top probably but, his ADOT became 0.1 in the succor of Daniels and nil.7 yards in the succor of Penix for the ideal. Top probably Bo Nix had a higher completion rate when forced — and his ADOT became handsome 7.5 yards.
  
  
• In his two seasons as a starter, McCarthy threw 13.8% of his targets to running backs, 57.8% to broad receivers and 24.9% to tight ends.
• Amongst the “huge five” potentialities in this one year’s draft (McCarthy, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Michael Penix), McCarthy became tops in completion rate (72.3%, 0.1% earlier than Daniels) with the bottom off-aim rate (9.3%, ninth-lowest amongst FBS qualifiers) and INT rate (1.2%, 10th-lowest). He became third in TD rate (6.63%) and yards per try (9.0), 2nd-to-final in ADOT (9.2 yards; Williams became lowest at 8.5) and makes an strive of 15-plus Air Yards (26.2%), and he had the bottom rate of throws of 20-plus Air Yards (13.9%). Interestingly sufficient, he became blitzed the 2nd-most amongst the community (29.3%, handsome in the succor of Maye’s 30.8%).
• When forced over 113 dropbacks final one year, McCarthy tried 82 passes, done 63.4% of them with a 12.2% off-aim rate for 9.5 yards per try on an 11.4 ADOT. This led the “huge five” in completion rate and became tied for the appropriate off-aim rate with a 2nd-ideal yards per try in the succor of Daniels. Top probably but, McCarthy had a TD rate of 9.76% when forced, which became in the succor of Daniels by a smidge however serene fourth-ideal in the FBS. His ADOT became 0.1 in the succor of Daniels and nil.7 yards in the succor of Penix for the ideal. Top probably Bo Nix had a higher completion rate when forced — and his ADOT became handsome 7.5 yards.
• When forced and throwing quick (4 Air Yards or much less), McCarthy done 60% of his passes, without bother the appropriate of the “huge five” (all of the others were below 53%, and three were below 40%).
• What about when he wasn’t forced and threw deep (15-plus Air Yards)? In that scenario McCarthy done 55.2% of these throws (2nd-ideal amongst huge five and 8th ideal in FBS).
• McCarthy had 10 throws in 2022 and three in 2023 of 40-plus Air Yards. Of the 13 such makes an strive, three touched 50 or more Air Yards and one more five were between 45 and 49. McCarthy done 6 of 13 for 320 yards and three touchdowns with out a picks.
• What about fleet throws? When getting the ball out in 2.5 seconds or much less, McCarthy done 74.9% of his passes for 7.3 yards per try, a 5.9 ADOT, a 3.91% TD rate and a 1.12% INT rate. This wasn’t as correct as others in the “huge five”; McCarthy became no better than third in any category with the exception of INT rate and became worst in TD rate.
• What about when he had time? When he had more than 2.5 seconds to throw, McCarthy done 69.3% of his throws for 11.0 yards per try on a 13.0 ADOT with a 9.8% TD rate and a 1.31% INT rate. 
• His off-aim rate became 12.4%. McCarthy became third in the FBS (one predicament in the succor of Daniels) in completion rate, eighth in TD rate, ninth in yards per try and 13th-ideal in off-aim rate.
• In the crimson zone, McCarthy done 65% of his throws with an 27.5% TD rate and a low 10% off-aim rate. Top probably Williams became better on completion rate and off-aim rate, and Daniels better on TD rate.- Had 216 yards on 36 makes an strive on straightforward throws — fleet outs, WR screens, backfield outs and shovel passes. McCarthy didn’t pad his stats with a quantity of accepted throws.
• Rather than sacks, McCarthy had 61 carries for 237 yards (3.9 yards per carry) and three touchdowns on the flooring. He kept away from a take care of on 29.5% of these runs, 2nd-highest amongst the “huge five”.
• Over his college profession, McCarthy scored on 7 of 17 stride makes an strive within the 10, 6 of 8 stride makes an strive within the 5, and 2 of 4 stride makes an strive on the one-yard line.
  
  

NFL Comparison

Any comparability for McCarthy is attractive to form, however I see about a of Filthy rich Gannon in his sport for his potential to spend ball placement and velocity on the quick and intermediate areas of the discipline, while struggling on occasion in the vertical areas of the discipline. He also has that improvisational potential and the potential to throw off platform from a quantity of arm slots and an unbalanced putrid. McCarthy is a bigger runner than Gannon became.