DONE DEAL: Michigan talented key players for 2024 Offseason….

 DONE DEAL: Michigan talented key players for 2024 Offseason.

The numbers don’t lie; J.J. McCarthy is a talented player.

With the Super Bowl concluded, the NFL as a whole turns its attention to the offseason. The focus of most people’s attention on the Las Vegas Raiders is on their quarterback prospect prospects in the NFL Draft.

J.J. McCarthy of Michigan is a candidate the Raiders should be keeping an eye on as a possible first-round selection, but he is currently the most divisive player at the position.

The conversation around the former Wolverine basically comes down to an old-fashioned argument between the eye test and the numbers. McCarthy’s numbers from this past season are not impressive when compared to the other top quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. In 15 games, he only managed 3,000 passing yards and 25 touchdowns overall.

On film, though, his qualities are evident in a number of striking plays that highlight his arm strength and athleticism.
The quarterback has been employed in the running game by Luke Getsy, the new offensive coordinator for the Raiders. Though having Justin Fields under center helped with that, Getsy can still use McCarthy’s legs to create plays if he wants to leave that playbook section open.

Michigan calls a read option with a minor snag in this instance. They have the tight end and left tackle combination block the defensive end and work up to the outside linebacker in the box, as opposed to leaving the defensive end (or final player on the line of scrimmage) unblocked and having the quarterback read the end (No. 6).

McCarthy plays closer to the slot receiver, sometimes known as the “overhang defender,” and ends up reading the linebacker (No. 20) who is outside of the tackle box. Additionally, Michigan’s slot receiver crack blocks the overhang, protecting McCarthy one-on-one. The quarterback’s shiftiness allows the offense to make the safety miss in space.