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J.J. McCarthy NFL mock draft: ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. projects Michigan football QB to Broncos
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- J.J. McCarthy NFL mock draft: ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. projects Michigan football QB to Broncos
As the NFL scouting combine takes place in Indianapolis this season, former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy finds himself in an enviable position, rising up 2024 NFL draft boards and firmly establishing himself as one of the top prospects at the sport's most valued position.
That ascent now includes a higher projected draft spot from the event's most famous prognosticator.
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In his updated 2024 NFL mock draft published Wednesday, ESPN's Mel Kiper has McCarthy going to the Denver Broncos with the No. 12 overall pick.
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McCarthy was the No. 16 overall selection by the Seattle Seahawks in Kiper's previous mock draft , which was released on Jan. 23. He remains Kiper's No. 4 quarterback in the draft class, behind USC's Caleb Williams , LSU 's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina 's Drake Maye , who are also projected as the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 overall picks, respectively, in Kiper's most recent mock draft.
He's the fourth and final quarterback taken in the first round, and the only Michigan player to appear in the first round of Kiper's latest projection. The 6-foot-3 McCarthy is coming off a 2023 season in which he completed 72.3% of his passes for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions while helping guide the Wolverines to their first national championship since 1997 .
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With the Broncos, he would go to a team that has been mired by turnover at quarterback since Peyton Manning retired following the 2015 season. Over the past seven seasons, Denver has had 12 different starting quarterbacks. Russell Wilson has been the team's starter for the past two seasons, though after his late-season benching in 2023, his status with the franchise remains uncertain moving forward.
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J.J. McCarthy NFL draft projections
Kiper is hardly alone in deeming McCarthy to be worthy of a first-round selection, as several other mainstream outlets have the former Michigan signal-caller going in the draft's first 32 picks — many of which have him landing in Denver.
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Here's a rundown of where various analysts have McCarthy in their mock drafts:
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ESPN's Field Yates (as of Feb. 14): No. 12 overall to the Broncos
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NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah (as of Feb. 20): No. 8 overall to the Atlanta Falcons
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NFL Network's Bucky Brooks (as of Feb. 27): No. 12 overall to the Broncos
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The Athletic (as of Feb. 22): No. 9 overall to the Broncos (through a trade up)
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CBS' Ryan Wilson (as of Feb. 27): No. 13 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders
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CBS' Chris Trapasso (as of Feb. 27): No. 11 overall to the Minnesota Vikings
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NFL draft 2024: J.J. McCarthy to Broncos at No. 12, per Mel Kiper Jr.
