Robert Griffin III slams J. J. McCarthy criticism ahead of 2024 NFL Draft: "He's a winner"
National title-winning Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy's draft stock is on the rise but there has been some criticism about his soaring value of late. Former quarterback Robert Griffin III has spoken against the disaproval of McCarthy.
A common theme in the J. J. McCarthy criticism is that his game tape doesn't show he's a first-round quarterback, let alone a top-five pick. But Robert Griffin III argued that McCarthy is a winner and the lack of film evidence is due to the offense which he operated in, where much wasn't required from McCarthy.
Griffin III said:
"He is a winner, Griffin said on McCarthy. But he has all of the same skills as the rest of the guys in this draft class... JJ has all those things. He just wasn't asked to do them. So I do think some analysts are looking at and saying 'show it to me on tape.'"
He added:
"Well, Michigan didn't ask him to do that. They asked him to make the right decisions, win football games and he's been in the NFL style environment with Jim Harbaugh being his head coach and I think executives love that about him and they can see his potential moving forward."
Part of the reason for McCarthy soaring in many draft boards is his intangibles, which has been highly spoken of in the NFL circles, along with this mechanics, athleticism and footwork.
The 21-year-old quarterback went 36-2 as a starter in high school. He has a record of 27-1 record as a starter in his college career for the Michigan Wolverines,.
En route to a national championship in 2023, McCarthy threw for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
J. J. McCarthy dines with Patriots as New England eye potential QB draft target
On Sunday night, the New England Patriots hosted J. J. McCarthy for dinner, as per Christopher Price and Nicole Yang of Boston Globe. They'll also formatlly host McCarthy for a pre-draft visit on Monday in Foxborough.
“It went amazing,” McCarthy said of his meeting with New England, per Price and Yang. “Coach Mayo was just an awesome guy, asking really great questions. You could definitely tell he’s been around this process a long time, and been a part of it. Just great interactions. It would be an honor to be part of their organization.”
The Patriots hold the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft and will like to strike it right as the franchise trasitions under new leadership in the post-Brady and post-Belichick era.