J.J. McCarthy compared to big-money Pro Bowl quarterback

For a piece published on Monday, former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky named new Atlanta Falcons signal-caller Kirk Cousins as his main "prospect-to-pro comp" regarding J.J. McCarthy of the Michigan Wolverines.

"McCarthy and Cousins play with a high level of conviction and routinely make difficult throws from the pocket look easier than they should," Orlovsky explained. "The former Michigan quarterback has his eyes and arm tied to his feet on when and where to throw the ball." 

Another thing Cousins and McCarthy have in common is that they are quite polarizing as it pertains to how they are viewed by fans and analysts alike. 

Cousins is a four-time Pro Bowl selection who, per Spotrac, has made over $231M from his NFL contracts and signed a four-year, $180M deal that included $100M guaranteed to join the Falcons last month. 

However, some think the fact that Cousins has recorded just one playoff win across four total postseason starts suggests he produces "empty calorie" stats and isn't an elite player at the position. 

McCarthy, meanwhile, reportedly does nothing "great" in the eyes of certain scouts but has nevertheless seen his draft stock rise over the past few months. 

The Chicago Bears are expected to make USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams the first pick of this year's draft, and some think the Washington Commanders will take McCarthy at No. 2 over both LSU Tigers signal-caller Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye of the North Carolina Tar Heels. 

"McCarthy has some supporters around the NFL who view him as on par with or even ahead of both Daniels and Maye," ESPN NFL insider Field Yates said on Monday. "I think McCarthy is a long shot to be the No. 2 pick, but there are enough people around the league who have expressed support for his game that I can't dismiss it as a possibility."

Interestingly, Yates wrote for that same article that McCarthy likely won't fall in the opening round of the draft past the Minnesota Vikings at pick No. 11. Cousins, of course, spent the past six campaigns with the Vikings before he signed with Atlanta. 

In a mock draft posted on Monday, Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic predicted that Minnesota will trade picks No. 11 and No. 23 this year along with a 2025 first-round choice to the Arizona Cardinals for selection No. 4 that the Vikings will then use to acquire McCarthy.