Ranking the Patriots' 5 quarterback choices in 2024 NFL Draft

1. J.J. McCarthy (Michigan)

Surprise, surprise. The last time New England drafted a reigning National Championship quarterback, the results left a lot to be desired. Why would the Patriots take the same risk again? McCarthy has had a meteoric rise up mock draft boards this offseason, but it's been 100% earned. There have even been reports that go as far as Washington taking McCarthy at No. 2.

Smoke season, or actual fire? Either way, the Patriots should be taking a long look at McCarthy.

Watching him play throughout his college career, it's hard to find a true weakness in his game. His 2,991 yards passing in 2023 might be a little off-putting, but when you look closer, you will see that he completed 72.3% of his passes and had 22 touchdowns to just four interceptions. His rushing stats are also underwhelming, with 202 yards and three touchdowns. But those are also a little bit deceptive.

McCarthy’s 4.23 shuttle time at the NFL Combine was tied for the best among quarterbacks, and it shows up clearly on the tape. It's unfortunate that all of the quarterbacks didn't line up and test 40-yard dashes against each other, so we'll just have to settle for the what-if game. Now, for the fun part. Could New England make the Minnesota deal (getting picks 11 and 23 this year) AND get McCarthy at 11?

My gut says no.

The Pats could possibly make the deal and then look at flipping some of the assets to get a pick somewhere between 4 and 10, but that seems like a lot to ask.

If New England truly believes McCarthy is the guy (and I believe he's a serious contender), then we could see something that was unfathomable just a couple of months ago: McCarthy holding up a Patriots jersey on stage as the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL Draft.

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