There is always a wild card in the NFL Draft. This year it was JJ McCarthy.
The Michigan quarterback and reigning national champion has exploded onto draft boards in recent weeks after months of not even being considered as a first-rounder to begin the 2023 college season.
Even college head coach Jim Harbaugh made a bold prediction that McCarthy would be the first quarterback taken off the board. However, he ended up coming fifth.
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JJ McCarthy of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates after defeating the Washington Huskies in the 2024 CFP National Championship Game at NRG Stadium in Houston on January 8, 2024. (Gregory Shams/Getty Images)
After all the rumors and speculation, McCarthy fell to the 10th pick, and the Minnesota Vikings moved up to pick him.
Initially, the New York Jets hosted the selection. But when Michael Penix Jr. was surprisingly selected with the eighth overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons, the Vikings seemed to feel they couldn’t wait any longer.
Minnesota sent No. 11, a fourth-rounder and a fifth-rounder, in place of No. 10 and No. 203.
In two seasons (29 games) as a full-time starter at Michigan, McCarthy completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 5,710 yards, 44 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
JJ McCarthy of the Michigan Wolverines warms up before a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan Stadium on November 4, 2023 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
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Despite his name soaring up the rankings, there are still questions about whether he can carry the team. In the national championship game, McCarthy completed 10 of 18 passes for 140 yards and no touchdowns in a 34-13 win over Washington.
But on perhaps the biggest drive of his career in the College Football Playoff semifinal Rose Bowl, he gave Alabama a seven-point lead with less than five minutes left. McCarthy completed a 27-yard pass on fourth-and-2, then ran 16 yards and found Roman Wilson for another 29 yards before giving Wilson a 4-yard score and sending the game into overtime. It was. Of course, the University of Michigan won in the end.
Michigan Wolverines QB JJ McCarthy, 9, celebrates with the trophy after the Michigan Wolverines defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide in overtime in the CFP semifinal Rose Bowl on January 1, 2024. (Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Now he finds himself in a fairly decent company. He will pitch with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockenson once he returns from his torn ACL.
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