The general consensus regarding the top of the NFL Draft has been that there are two elite quarterback options. USC’s Caleb Williams is thought of as a can’t-miss prospect, and North Carolina’s Drake Maye has his own attributes that make him a premier option for a quarterback hungry team.
NFL Execs Think Washington Is High On McCarthy
Wow: The belief amongst executives in the NFL who know #Commanders GM Adam Peters is that he will draft J.J. McCarthy at #2 overall.
(h/t @uSTADIUM) (via @TomPelissero)
pic.twitter.com/7bOILFHlCz— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 25, 2024
And while there hasn’t been much of a change in Williams’ standing, there might be a player other than Maye who is the second off of the board, and it’s not the one who is currently the betting favorite to be the #2 pick.
Jayden Daniels has been rising up draft boards throughout the process. He is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and had one of the best statistical seasons of any collegiate QB last year, and has only recently made his way to the top of the odds boards for who would be picked second.
It is the Washington Commanders that are currently in line to draft at #2, and based on rumors out of the NFL League Meetings in Orlando, it is another prospect completely that they are considering.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, it is Michigan’s JJ McCarthy who rival GMs believe that the Commanders are eying:
When I’ve had conversations with executives from other teams who know Adam Peters well, the most popular answer for what they do at #2 is JJ McCarthy.
Another NFC East Team Has Shown Interest In McCarthy
REPORT: The #Giants’ brass had dinner with Michigan QB JJ McCarthy last week and gave him a tour of the team’s facility, according to @Schultz_Report
The #Commanders plan to have dinner with McCarthy on Thursday before his pro day. pic.twitter.com/aQFK5tQwuM
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) March 19, 2024
Like Daniels, McCarthy has been rising up draft boards lately. But it was thought that he was a step below the other elite prospects, and he was widely projected to be a mid-first round pick, or the 4th best QB in the class. There was talk of the New York Giants being interested, and now the reports that they would have to move up from #6 to nab McCarthy make more sense.
That notion is apparently changing based on Pelissero’s reporting. Many outlets and mocks still have Daniels listed ahead of McCarthy, but Washington’s interest will be heavily monitored.
Given that Caleb Williams is essentially a lock to be the #1 pick, the NFL Draft unofficially “begins” with the second selection.
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