An interesting trade proposal has a surprise AFC team trading up into the No. 4 spot via the Arizona Cardinals to select Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy.
The stock of JJ McCarthy has gone up considerably in recent weeks, to the point where many believe he’ll even go as high as second overall to the Washington Commanders. The only sure thing is that USC’s Caleb Williams will go first overall to the Chicago Bears.
McCarthy, LSU’s Jayden Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye are the other top three quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. Many expect the New England Patriots to take a QB at No. 3, whereas the Arizona Cardinals (owners of the No. 4 pick) are sure to go in another direction.
The Cardinals definitely won’t take a quarterback with Kyler Murray already in place. They’ll likely either take a wide receiver at No. 4 or trade the pick to a quarterback-needy team.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report proposed a giant trade proposal that has Arizona trading the No. 4 pick to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for the No. 13 and No. 77 selections plus a 2025 first-round pick.
In Ballentine’s proposal, the Raiders would then select JJ McCarthy to secure their quarterback of the future:
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“In this case, “their guy” would likely be J.J. McCarthy. The Michigan quarterback has been climbing up mock drafts since the combine and seems to be gaining steam. He was in a low-volume passing attack at Michigan but has impressed when people have went back to look at his tape.
There are certainly unknowns with McCarthy but he’s also a young prospect. He just turned 21 in January while Jayden Daniels is already 23.
The Raiders aren’t in a great position to draft a quarterback without a trade up and the roster is too good to believe they will be in a better position next year. It’s a steep price for a quarterback with a lot of unknowns but it would certainly draw attention.”
The Raiders signed veteran signal-caller Gardner Minshew II as an insurance option to challenge sophomore Aidan O’Connell for the starting job. But if GM Tom Telesco can pull off a blockbuster trade to move up for his long-term QB, then of course they should consider taking JJ McCarthy if he’s available.
JJ McCarthy Is A Polarizing QB Prospect
It’ll be interesting to see where JJ McCarthy lands in the 2024 NFL Draft, because scouts and analysts are divided on him as a prospect.
Some scouts believe he has a limited skill set and was the beneficiary of playing on a Michigan team with an elite defense and rushing game. But others believe McCarthy has a higher skill set that can be reached in the right offensive system.
Also Read: REPORT: NFL GM With High Draft Pick Is “Pushing Hard” For His Team To Select Michigan QB JJ McCarthy
