With the college football regular season over and the NFL playoff picture taking shape, publications are starting to release their NFL Mock Drafts and Big Boards. The Athletic recently released their consensus big board, featuring the top 100 draft-eligible players, ranked by a "wide range of draft experts." Only one Michigan Wolverine appeared on the list, quarterback JJ McCarthy.
2024 NFL Draft Consensus Big Board by The Athletic
Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr is #1 on the list, followed by top quarterbacks USC's Caleb Williams and UNC's Drake Maye. The next QB on the list is Heisman winner LSU's Jayden Daniels at #15. The Pac 12 pair of Washington's Michael Penix and Oregon's Bo Nix are found at #26 and #27. At #33 is Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, followed by McCarthy at #34, making JJ the 7th ranked QB on the list.
A Big Board is a ranking of the prospects and not necessarily a projection of how the draft picks will go, as we often see QBs taken earlier due to their value, but 7 quarterbacks in the top 34 is a QB-heavy draft. For instance, last season Stetson Bennett was the 7th quarterback selected, and he went in the 4th round. 2021 had 5 quarterbacks selected in the first round, Kellen Mond was the 7th selected in the 3rd round.
Most early NFL Mock Drafts project McCarthy as a first-round pick, some as high as #7 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.
McCarthy has not announced or signaled what his decision may be for 2024. McCarthy is a true junior who can enter the NFL Draft or return to Ann Arbor for his senior season. Michigan is in the College Football Playoff and preparing for a semifinal matchup in the Rose Bowl against Alabama. No decision is expected from McCarthy before the season ends.
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