13. J.J. McCarthy QB Michigan
While the top three quarterback prospects did not participate at all in the NFL combine, JJ McCarthy was one of the few that participated in the measurables and passing drills in Indianapolis. One of the concerns about McCarthy was that he was too slight to hold up at the NFL level but he measured in add a solid 219 lbs which was almost 15 lbs more than what he was listed at while at Michigan.
McCarthy had a couple duds in the throwing aspect of the combine but there was still a lot of buzz about him after the event. This week we have even seen mock draft experts putting him at #3 in their quarterback power rankings. We would not go quite that far as the big three still seemed to be in another tier but McCarthy is making waves around the NFL.
We know that many Raider fans would prefer a trade up into the top three or top five to grab Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye but in this mock we stand pat and grab a quarterback that has plenty of athletic ability and upside. McCarthy is probably the least flashy of the top quarterback prospects because of the smaller role he played at Michigan what we have seen many NFL quarterbacks succeed despite limited production in college.
With several quarterback needy teams drafting ahead of the Raiders, it may be a miracle that McCarthy even ends up at this position so we will thank our lucky stars and move on with the rest of the draft knowing we have a potential franchise quarterback in the building. Now on to building up that defense and giving this young man plenty of short fields to work with in his rookie season.