J.J. McCarthy to Meet with Broncos at 2024 NFL Combine amid Russell Wilson Rumors

As the NFL scouting combine gets underway this week, the Denver Broncos aren't wasting any time meeting with one of their rumored first-round targets in the 2024 draft.

General manager George Paton told reporters the Broncos will meet with Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy on Tuesday night.

Russell Wilson has said he's open to staying in Denver next season, but the expectation for weeks has been the nine-time Pro Bowler will be released before the start of free agency in March.

The Broncos are almost certainly coming out of free agency or the draft with a new quarterback who will go into 2024 as their starter. They still have Jarrett Stidham under contract, but it would seem unlikely that head coach Sean Payton will hand him the keys to the offense for the entire season.

Wilson's potential release complicates Denver's ability to potentially add a free agent like Kirk Cousins if that was the direction Payton wanted to take. Parting ways with Wilson will cost the team $85 million in dead-cap charges, but they can spread it out over two seasons by designating him as a post-June 1 cut.

Since the Broncos own the 12th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, they are unlikely to be in the mix for one of the top three quarterbacks in the class barring a trade up. This is the first time since 2021 they've had a first-round pick after sending their previous two to the Seattle Seahawks as part of the Wilson trade.

McCarthy could very well be on the board when Denver's selection comes up. NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported the Wolverines star will throw at the combine this week.

B/R's NFL scouting department has McCarthy ranked as the No. 55 overall prospect, but he's the fourth-best quarterback behind Drake Maye (No. 3 overall), Caleb Williams (No. 4) and Jayden Daniels (No. 24).

One big reason for McCarthy to take part in the scouting combine drills is to give NFL talent evaluators more tape to look at. He only attempted 654 passes over the past two seasons at Michigan.

McCarthy's 332 attempts during the 2023 campaign were tied for 53rd among all FBS quarterbacks.