According to Sportskeeda’s consulting editor and NFL Draft analyst Tony Pauline, the New England Patriots are reportedly influential in boosting Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s draft stock ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft on April 25th. Pauline mentioned in his recent mock draft update that there’s a buzz surrounding the Patriots potentially selecting McCarthy with the third overall pick, despite his own reservations about McCarthy being a top-10 selection. He noted that Eliot Wolf, acting as a de facto general manager, is advocating strongly for McCarthy, believing he possesses significant potential comparable to any other quarterback in this draft.
The surge in McCarthy’s draft value has become a prominent topic during the NFL offseason. Speculation has arisen that McCarthy might even be chosen before North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye.
Some forecasts even suggest McCarthy could be the second quarterback chosen after Caleb Williams from USC, presuming Williams goes to the Chicago Bears as anticipated. If this scenario plays out, the Washington Commanders might select McCarthy, Maye, or LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the draft’s second pick.
Although there’s speculation that the Patriots might trade their third selection to bolster their rebuilding efforts, some sources, including beat writer Chris Mason of MassLive, consistently assert that New England intends to select a quarterback at No. 3. However, in recent mock drafts by Ryan Wilson and Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports, they predict the Patriots will opt for Maye instead of McCarthy at No. 3. Wilson even suggests that the Minnesota Vikings might trade up to the fifth pick to secure McCarthy, while Trapasso believes the Denver Broncos could orchestrate a trade to secure McCarthy as the fourth pick in the draft.
New England made moves this offseason, parting ways with their 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones and acquiring veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett. While Brissett could potentially start ahead of a rookie like McCarthy, it’s plausible that Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo would provide any first-year pro, particularly one selected with the third pick, an opportunity to compete for the starting quarterback position during the summer.
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