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J.J. McCarthy's odds to be drafted No. 2 overall took a huge jump, which means silly season is officially here

Every year it seems like an unexpected player shoots up mock drafts based on rumors people hear from team executives, and every year we learn some of that stuff we heard wasn’t quite what it seemed — and some of it was legit.

In 2024, much of that chatter is centered around Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who went from not being mentioned at all among the best quarterback prospects in this year’s NFL Draft to suddenly being rumored as an option for the Washington Commanders at No. 2 overall.

If you missed it, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said Monday on The Insiders that executives around the league largely believe new Commanders general manager Adam Peters favors McCarthy over any other player expected to be available, which obviously includes North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels.

With that report and others fueling the McCarthy hype train, the 21-year-old’s odds to be drafted No. 2 have shortened across all sportsbooks. At BetMGM, his odds jumped up from 20-1 to +400 as of Tuesday afternoon, closing the gap on Daniels (-145) and Maye (+160).

A few weeks ago, it was surprising to hear McCarthy mentioned as even an early-to-mid first-round pick. Now, people seem to think he can be the second player drafted, which is an incredible leap and one I’m not sure I’m completely buying. It wasn’t long ago people tried to sell Maye as being better than presumed No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. Now, you’re telling he won’t even be the second quarterback drafted?

As someone who doesn’t scout or evaluate these quarterbacks, I guess I have to concede anything is possible. But my smokescreen detectors are up on this one. I’ll believe it when I see it.

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