JJ McCarthy elected to enter the NFL Draft after winning a National Championship in his junior year at Michigan. McCarthy has been a polarizing prospect in some ways, with experts projecting him as high as the top 10 of the NFL Draft and as low as the back half of the second round. ESPN's Mel Kiper has released his first mock draft of the 2024 NFL Draft season, and he has McCarthy going 16th overall to the Seattle Seahawks.

Here is what Mel Kiper had to say about McCarthy going in the first round to Seattle;

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 head coach ends up being.

McCarthy would be the first Michigan quarterback selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since Jim Harbaugh in 1987.

---

Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards

Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer

Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @lucasreimink

Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify

Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube

Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram