NFL Draft 2024: Where J.J. McCarthy, Top QBs Are Being Selected in Mocks

The NFL draft gets rolling Thursday night, and everyone seems to know how it will start.

Virtually any mock draft you'll find will open with the Chicago Bears taking USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Things can twist and turn behind him, though.

Williams seems like the only quarterback who knows for certain where he's headed, though. As a review of recent expert mocks shows, the other top quarterbacks in this class could land in a different spots.

Jayden Daniels, LSU

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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 11: Jayden Daniels #5 of the LSU Tigers throws the ball against the Florida Gators during a game at Tiger Stadium on November 11, 2023 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Jayden Daniels, this past season's Heisman Trophy winner, won't have to wait long to hear his name called on draft night.

Of the three expert mocks used for this exercise—from NFL.com's Chad Reuter, CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan and Fox Sports' combo of David Helman and Carmen Vitali—two featured Daniels landing with the Washington Commanders at the No. 2 spot. In the other (the Fox Sports mock), Daniels went third overall to the New England Patriots.

He also went third on the latest mock from the B/R NFL Scouting Department, which is 28 spots above where he sits on their big board. Still, team need plays a part in the discussion, and the Pats clearly have a glaring void under center.

"New England is coming off a Mac Jones/Bailey Zappe era that completely lacked explosive ability," B/R's Derrik Klassen wrote. "Daniels changes everything.

"Daniels is an A-tier rushing threat with a delightful deep ball. Those two traits alone will change the makeup of the Patriots offense. Better yet, Daniels brings a decent floor with his accuracy and ball security."

Drake Maye, North Carolina

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CLEMSON, SC - NOVEMBER 18: North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Drake Maye (10) drops back to pass during a college football game against the Clemson Tigers on November 18, 2023 at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

It shouldn't be a long draft night for Drake Maye, either.

Mock drafters essentially just slot him into whichever top-three spot that doesn't have Daniels. So, Maye was the third pick for Reuter and Sullivan and the second for the Fox Sports crew.

"If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong. But I just don't buy the Jayden Daniels smoke with Washington," Helman wrote. "I think Drake Maye's tantalizing upside makes him worth the investment at No. 2, and I'm not going to let pre-draft smokescreens throw me off."

Speaking of that upside, the BR NFL Scouting Department is all the way sold on Maye's potential. He is their top-ranked quarterback and third-ranked prospect overall.

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

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HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 08: Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrates after a touchdown during the CFP National Championship against the Washington Huskies on January 08, 2024 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

J.J. McCarthy's chances of landing in the top five continue climbing. In these three expert mocks, that's exactly where he goes.

Both Reuter and the Fox Sports crew mocked McCarthy in the No. 4 spot, but not to the same place. While Reuter had the New York Giants moving up for McCarthy, Fox Sports saw the Minnesota Vikings doing the same.

"The Daniel Jones Era could be coming to a close in New York," Reuter wrote. "Remember, he wasn't this administration's pick, and the Giants signed Drew Lock in March to the sort of deal a team often gives a veteran before selecting a first-round quarterback."

Sullivan, meanwhile, had McCarthy making it to No. 5 before Minnesota moved up to take him there.

"There's a reason why so many people are pinpointing this spot to be where the Vikings make their move. It just makes sense," Sullivan wrote. "L.A. doesn't need QB and needs to bring aboard young/cheap talent, so moving down is a logical step. The Vikings get themselves a fascinating QB prospect who has won essentially everywhere he's gone in his football life."