It’s mock draft season after the college football season came to a close. Just about every week different sites will upload their newest mock draft with some changes.
On Tuesday, Mel Kiper Jr. updated his mock draft on ESPN.
The NFL draft expert has one Wolverine going in the first round and that’s Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy. Kiper has McCarthy going No. 16 overall to the Seattle Seahawks. McCarthy was the fourth quarterback off the board.
OK, here’s a spot for the next quarterback. While I don’t have a first-round grade on McCarthy right now — a lot can change before Round 1 on April 25 — he does have first-round arm talent, along with the ability to beat defenses with his legs. He’s the type of quarterback teams will take a shot at in the middle of the first round, especially when you consider he just turned 21 a few days ago. He rarely turns the ball over — he threw 44 touchdown passes and had nine picks over the past two seasons — and can make every throw. McCarthy just wasn’t asked to beat teams with his arm for the Wolverines, because they so often dominated at the line of scrimmage. As of now, I’m betting on a team seeing his upside and trying to take him somewhere in the teens.
For Seattle, the contract Geno Smith signed last March made it clear the team could get out after one season. Smith had a decent season (20 TD passes, 9 INTs), but will he really be here long-term? I could see the Seahawks severing ties and starting fresh for whomever the new coach ends up being.
This would appear to be a good landing spot for McCarthy. Quarterback Geno Smith could be on his last leg with Seattle and the junior quarterback would be able to sit — or maybe start halfway in the season — and learn the playbook. The Seahawks have a boatload of talent that would be around McCarthy. DK Metcalf, Tyler Locker, Kenneth Walker, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Obviously, this is just a projection, but whoever does take McCarthy won’t be disappointed. He has great work ethic and is the type of player that will work as hard as he can to be the best that he can. McCarthy can make any throw in the book, and as long as the offense allows him to throw the rock — he will show why he was such a highly touted quarterback.
