Could Michigan State football QB JJ McCarthy be taken No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft?

People laughed when Jim Harbaugh said that University of Michigan football quarterback JJ McCarthy deserved to be the No. 1 draft pick. Analysts are now beginning to speculate that it could very well happen. It's only March, and things will likely change between now and late April, but speculation is slowly building after the scouting teams merge.

His critics believe otherwise and will bash him for being nothing more than a game manager who is at his best when he's passing the ball. They'll bring up the Penn State win and how he didn't throw a single pass in the second half and his dangerous three-interception performance in the win over Bowling Green.

What they fail to respect, or completely ignore, is that he is the winningest quarterback in Michigan football history. That's more than Tom Brady, Jim Harbaugh, Chad Henne, or anyone else who has lined up for a photo in 144 years. There's a reason Harbaugh called him the greatest quarterback to ever wear the maize and blue.

Just by watching him over the last three years, anyone can tell that McCarthy is more genuine than ever. The pregame meditation time has helped him both on and off the field. Questions of character are not an important factor for him. He's done everything you're asked to do in Michigan football and beyond. He made the players around him play better.

He's accurate, can play with his feet, doesn't turn the ball over, and will be on his rookie contract. What more could you ask for from an NFL quarterback? Being a Super Bowl champion would be the most obvious answer, but McCarthy already has a college equivalent. Not to mention, he's only 21 years old and missed a full fourth quarter for most of the 2023 season.

Cam Newton, Jameis Winston, Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence were also quarterbacks who won national championships and were drafted No. 1 in their respective drafts. Below is a sample of his stats compared to the rest of the 2024 QB class.

Some may think Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Bo Nix, and Michael Penix Jr. are better. Unless the Bears trade his pick, he will be the final judge and jury. Imagine trading Justin Fields and handing the keys to the franchise to McCarthy. It's like beating Ohio State four times in a row.

If McCarthy wasn't a quarterback at such a prestigious university, we wouldn't be having this conversation. The haters are entitled to their opinion and feel justified in saying he shouldn't even be a first round pick.

In today's game someone is in love with him, but we don't know who it is yet. Free Agency Day and Pro Day will provide some answers by the time Thursday, April 25th arrives. Whether you agree or not, drafting JJ McCarthy now is like taking the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, getting him a year earlier than most. Just do it.