NFL Draft News: The Washington Commanders are visiting QB J.J. McCarthy in Michigan

McCarthy continues to rise

The J.J. McCarthy hype continues to grow. The former Michigan QB is reportedly a lot higher on many NFL team’s boards than the general public’s ready to accept. He led the Michigan Wolverines to a National Title under head coach Jim Harbaugh. McCarthy has been having visits with NFL teams as they prepare for next month’s draft in Detroit, MI. He visited the New York Giants last week per Jordan Schultz, and the Washington Commanders are reportedly flying out to Ann Arbor, MI to have dinner with him on Thursday, the night before his Pro Day. Washington interviewed McCarthy at the NFL Scouting Combine, his first in a series of Q&As with multiple teams.

The Washington Commanders hold the #2 overall pick in this year’s draft, and have been expected to draft a QB there since they locked in that spot with a 4-13 record last season. There are possibilities for trades both up(presumably for USC QB Caleb Williams) and down(for more draft capital in a recalibrating year), but Adam Peters’ regime has been pretty tight-lipped throughout free agency. It’s always lying season from the teams, and speculation season from fans and the media.

The Commanders traded Sam Howell to the Seahawks after signing veteran QB Marcus Mariota in free agency. They have to add at least one other QB to their roster before offseason activities start. Most people expect them to draft either LSU’s Jayden Daniels or North Carolina’s Drake Maye with the #2 pick. The visit with J.J. McCarthy is likely due diligence in case they get a trade down offer they can’t refuse, but there is the possibility that new GM Adam Peters’ and staff don’t have this year’s QB crop ranked like the consensus from draft experts. This is Peters first chance at being an NFL GM, and also new managing partner Josh Harris’s first full offseason as owner of the team.