J.J. McCarthy will find out where he’ll begin his NFL career later this week. Ahead of the draft, the quarterback discussed some possible landing spots with Adam Schefter.
During the ESPN insider’s podcast, McCarthy told Schefter it’d be a “tremendous honor” to join the New England Patriots. He praised the organization’s success over the years and paid a heavy compliment to owner Robert Kraft.
“The coolest, smoothest guy I’ve met in a long time,” McCarthy said of Kraft, via Pats Pulpit’s Brian Hines. “Just being able to know that you’re in good hands when the Kraft family is running that whole thing.”
Bill Belichick is no longer in Foxborough, but McCarthy likes what he’s seen from new head coach Jerod Mayo during pre-draft meetings.
“Coach Mayo’s been a part of that success over the years,” he continued. “And what he’s building is a feeling that I got when I first stepped onto Michigan — a sense of urgency to rebuild the culture, rebuild this team to where they want to get to and where they were.”
As Schefter noted, McCarthy wouldn’t be the first Michigan quarterback to play for the Patriots. There was also that Tom Brady guy.
McCarthy said he has a “great relationship” with the former New England icon. He asked Brady questions throughout the season but didn’t want to “bother him too much.”
The Patriots hold the No. 3 pick on Thursday night. They’ll likely select a quarterback, but they’d have to take McCarthy over at least one of Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels.
DraftKings Sportsbook lists a +380 betting line for New England to draft McCarthy, who also offered flattering words for the three teams with shorter odds.
Even though he grew up rooting for the Chicago Bears, McCarthy said it’d be a “blessing” to play for the Minnesota Vikings. He’d “run through a brick wall” for head coach Kevin O’Connell.
McCarthy said it’d be “truly special” to play for the New York Giants and “invaluable” to learn from Sean Payton if the Denver Broncos drafted him.