The 2024 NFL Draft is a little over two months away, which means that teams are beginning their in-depth analysis of each draft prospect to help their team for the future. And it appears that one draft prospect may be jumping up draft boards thanks to some lofty expectations from NFL scouts.
ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller recently appeared on The Matt Barrie Show, stating that NFL scouts are comparing McCarthy to former No. 1 overall pick and current Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow.
“All the tools are there,” said Miller. “They are just waiting to come out. The traits are a little hidden right now, we just need someone to bring them out. (Jim) Harbaugh was on record saying he should be the number one quarterback drafted. I know he’s defending his guy. But I’ll tell ya, I’ve talked to so many scouts. One in particular just said J.J. McCarthy would be Joe Burrow if he was on a team that threw the ball. There’s a lot of love for J.J. McCarthy.
Miller didn’t name the scout in question that made this comparison. But on the surface, it seems like a pretty ridiculous take to compare McCarthy to someone of Burrow’s caliber.
Not only did Burrow win a National Championship in college like McCarthy did this past season, but he also finished with 5,671 passing yards and 60 touchdowns in his senior season at LSU. In comparison, McCarthy finished with 2,991 passing yards and 22 passing touchdowns this past season.
These numbers aren’t even remotely close between the two. And I know the argument is if McCarthy was in a more pass-heavy offense. But even then, it’s hard to predict that McCarthy could rival his collegiate numbers.
Maybe McCarthy will one-day rival Burrow in terms of talent in the NFL. But it sure seems like NFL scouts may be overrating the Michigan product just a bit at this point.
[ESPN College Football on YouTube]
