"Would be Joe Burrow if he were on a team that threw the ball": ESPN analyst reveals prediction on J.J. McCarthy ahead of 2024 draft
While Joe Burrow was the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft, there is no guarantee that J.J. McCarthy will be selected in the first round of this year's draft. He figures to be anywhere from the fourth to sixth quarterback off the board.
That has not, however, stopped ESPN's NFL draft analyst Matt Miller from comparing the draft prospect to the Cincinnati Bengals signal-caller.
During a recent appearance on The Matt Barrie Show, Miller praised McCarthy.
"All the tools are there," Miller said. "They're just kind of waiting to come out. What did [Patrick] Mahomes say this week? He's got a six pack, it's just under the Dad Bod. That's J.J. McCarthy. The traits are just a little hidden right now. We just need somebody to bring them out. And Harbaugh is on record saying he should be the first quarterback drafted."
Miller continued:
"I know he's defending his guy, but I'll tell you, I've talked to so many scouts, one in particular, who said JJ McCarthy would be Joe Burrow if he were on a team that threw the ball. And you're okay, like, there's a lot of love for J.J. McCarthy among the scouting community. He's tough as he**. He's got a big arm. He's a very good athlete. And he's coachable. That's something that comes up all the time."
Check out Matt Miller's comments on J.J. McCarthy below (starting at the 22:50 mark):
It will be interesting to see if NFL teams believe McCarthy's tools will translate to the next level or if they feel he is a product of playing on stacked Michigan rosters. He attempted just 713 passes in his college career and did not have a season in which he averaged more than 23 pass attempts per game.
J.J. McCarthy's and Joe Burrow's college careers
J.J. McCarthy joined the Michigan Wolverines as a four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. In three seasons, two of which he started, he threw for 6,226 yards, 49 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
McCarthy completed 67.6% of his passes while adding 632 rushing yards and ten touchdowns on 161 carries. He led the Wolverines to the 2023 national title.
Joe Burrow initially joined the Ohio State Buckeyes as a four-star prospect in the 2015 recruiting class. He spent three seasons with the program, serving as a backup. Burrow threw for 287 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 74.4% of his passes. He added 53 rushing yards and one touchdown on 15 carries.
Burrow joined the LSU Tigers as a graduate transfer ahead of the 2018 season and earned the starting job. In two seasons, he compiled 8,565 passing yards, 76 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
He completed 68.5% of his passes, adding 767 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 243 carries. Burrow led the Tigers to the 2019 national title, and took home the Heisman Trophy.