No player has received more hype leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft than JJ McCarthy, but one Hall of Fame quarterback is not sold on the former Michigan star.
Kurt Warner said during Friday morning’s edition of “Get Up” on ESPN that he would be hesitant to draft McCarthy in the top five. The two-time NFL MVP said there is a lot he likes about McCarthy, but Warner wonders if NFL teams can trust McCarthy’s arm.
“If I’m drafting someone in the top five, I want to know that I can trust him to win games with his right arm. We never had to see that,” Warner said. “We never saw the pressure on him to have to make throw after throw after throw, week after week, to carry his football team. You will have to do that in the National Football League with the way the league is built with the talent at the quarterback position. So, that is a huge question for me because we’ve never seen it.”
How good is J.J. McCarthy's arm? 🤔
"If I'm drafting someone in the top five, I want to know that I can trust him to win games with his right arm." —@kurt13warner pic.twitter.com/xRXvYFuIDo
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 19, 2024
Michigan blew out most of their opponents last season. Though McCarthy consistently delivered in big moments, Warner’s point seems to be that there were not many scenarios where the ex-Wolverines star had to put the team on his back. Jim Harbaugh’s team was so good that McCarthy usually played with a lead.
McCarthy threw for fewer than 225 yards in 11 of Michigan’s 15 games last season. He was barely needed in the national championship game when he went 10/18 for 140 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in a 34-13 win over Washington.
Those who disagree with Warner could point to Michigan’s win over Alabama in the College Football Playoff semifinals. McCarthy finished 17/27 for 221 yards and 3 touchdowns while leading the Wolverines to an overtime win. Even if the stats weren’t eye-popping, he proved that he can play at a high level when the stakes are at their highest. That is the type of rare trait that has made McCarthy attractive to NFL teams.
McCarthy seems like a lock to go in the top five. One team with a high pick has been linked to him in recent weeks.
