J.J. McCarthy (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

There is speculation around the NFL that an interesting AFC team is “so desperate” to trade up and nab Michigan Wolverines quarterback JJ McCarthy.

The stock of JJ McCarthy has skyrocketed since he helped the Wolverines to a national championship victory over the Washington Huskies three months ago. Once projected to be a mid-to-late first-round pick, the 21-year-old is now widely expected to be a top-four draft choice.

Speaking on KFAN 100.3 in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota Vikings radio play-by-play announcer Paul Allen stated that the Denver Broncos are desperately trying to move up for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.

McCarthy is apparently the quarterback on Denver’s radar, with Allen stating that the AFC West club is willing to trade the No. 12 pick, All-Pro cornerback Patrick Surtain II and their 2025 first-round pick in order to get their man:

“They’re so desperate out Denver way. I’m not kidding you man. I wouldn’t surprised if it was ‘we want that 3 so badly we will give you [pick No.] 12, we will give you next year’s 1st-rounder, and we will give you Patrick Surtain II’. I’m not kidding you. They are that desperate”

The Chicago Bears are essentially a lock to take USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. The Washington Commanders will presumably take either McCarthy, LSU’s Jayden Daniels or North Carolina’s Drake Maye at No. 2.

If the New England Patriots don’t want a quarterback at No. 3, they’re a prime candidate to trade down. But if it’s all QBs in the top-three, then a team like Minnesota or Denver will surely have to trade up to get the signal-caller they want.

JJ McCarthy Should Be A Top-10 Pick

While some scouts believe McCarthy has a limited skill set and isn’t worthy of being a top-10 selection, others believe there’s more than what we saw on film during his tenure with the Wolverines.

It’s true that JJ McCarthy didn’t have to do too much with a strong ground game and elite defense guiding the way, but a 27-1 record as a starter in college is nothing to scoff at. McCarthy displayed excellent accuracy and ball control, with 44 touchdowns against only nine interceptions over his last two years of college football.

Given that consistency and winning pedigree, JJ McCarthy is more than deserving of being a top-10 pick. In fact, one shouldn’t be overly surprised if he ends up going second overall behind Wililams.