National Football League

2024 NFL Draft odds: J.J. McCarthy's odds to go second skyrocket

Updated Mar. 27, 2024 10:33 a.m. ET

The NFL Draft is officially less than a month away, and is shaping up to be pretty quarterback heavy.

FOX Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt projects six QBs will be selected in the first round in his latest mock draft, with the Chicago Bears taking the odds-on favorite Caleb Williams first overall.

The oddsboard indicates quarterbacks will be taken with the next two picks as well, and for months those two players were considered to be LSU's Jayden Daniels and North Carolina's Drake Maye.

However, in the past week, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy odds to go No. 2 overall have skyrocketed.

Should J.J. McCarthy be the second overall pick?

At DraftKings Sportsbook, while Daniels is still the favorite to go No. 2 at -125, with Maye behind him at +150, McCarthy's odds have shortened all the way to +275 from +3500 a week ago.

McCarthy's meteoric rise up the oddsboard comes fresh off the heels of his pro-day performance , one that impressed scouts, evaluators, and even his college coach, Jim Harbaugh.

"That was the best I've ever seen a quarterback do at a pro day," Harbaugh told reporters of McCarthy's workout. "Not only were his feet great, individual drills, but then he started throwing, and every throw was right there. I thought the receivers did a great job, too. They all had a great day.

"That was the best throwing day I've ever seen."

Here's a look at the odds at DraftKings for the player to be selected second (the Washington Commanders own the pick) and third overall (owned by the New England Patriots), with insights from FOX Sports' Colin Cowherd and NFL Insider David Helman.

ODDS TO BE SECOND OVERALL PICK: *

Jayden Daniels, LSU: -125 (bet $10 to win $18 total)
Drake Maye, North Carolina: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total)
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan: +275 (bet $10 to win $37.50 total)
Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State: +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total)
Caleb Williams, USC: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)

* odds as of 3/27/24

On Tuesday's episode of FOX Sports' "The Herd," host Colin Cowherd shared his skepticism about McCarthy going second overall.

"There are things I like about him, but … second? Drake Maye is bigger and stronger, Caleb Williams is much more explosive and has better numbers across the board. [McCarthy] had a 300-yard passing game one time [in college]."

"He was very efficient at Michigan, but he was very rarely, if ever, dynamic or dominant. He never had to carry a team."

ODDS TO BE THIRD OVERALL PICK: *

Drake Maye, North Carolina: -125 (bet $10 to win $17.41 total)
Jayden Daniels, LSU: +150 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan: +425 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State: +750 (bet $10 to win $120 total)
Malik Nabers, LSU: +6000 (bet $10 to win $660 total)

* odds as of 3/27/24

Who should be the second QB drafted after Caleb Williams?

Despite no longer being the favorite to be drafted second, Maye is now the odds-on favorite to be drafted third, with his odds shifting from -150 to -125 following McCarthy's rise.

And count FOX Sports NFL insider David Helman firmly on Team Maye when it comes to the second-best QB in the draft.

"I'm a little bit surprised that there is as much debate as there is. Coming out of college football season, I thought it was pretty clear-cut, and that's even with my guy Jayden Daniels winning the Heisman Trophy, that Maye was clearly QB No. 2.

"If I'm excited about Drake Maye, I think the reason is just because of that very Josh Allen sort of skill set … Go turn on some highlights of Drake Maye and just watch the ball come out of this guy's hands. That physical skill set is what gets you excited about Drake Maye."

Who do you think will be the second and third picks of April's NFL Draft? Follow FOX Sports for the latest news on the NFL and other sports.