JJ McCarthy is heading to the NFL Draft off a national championship at Michigan, and his stock as a first-round pick is starting to climb.

While with the Wolverines, McCarthy delivered an efficient performance but was not regularly called on to beat teams with his arm. Still, he guided the run-first attack to perfection, and McCarthy’s comps in the NFL have reached massive proportions.

According to ESPN’s Matt Miller, the NFL scouting world loves McCarthy’s overall makeup. That includes one scout who compared McCarthy to Joe Burrow, LSU’s Heisman Trophy winner and national champion quarterback.

“All the tools are there, they’re just waiting to come out. What did Patrick Mahomes say this week? He’s got a six-pack, it’s just under the dad bod. That’s JJ McCarthy, the traits are just a little hidden right now, he just needs someone to bring them out,” said Miller during a conversation with Matt Barrie. “And (Jim) Harbaugh is on record saying he should be the first QB drafted. I know he’s defending his guy, but I’ve talked to so many scouts, one in particular, who said JJ McCarthy would be Joe Burrow on a team that threw the ball.”

Miller went on to describe McCarthy’s skill set, touching on the QB’s toughness, big arm and great athleticism. McCarthy is also believed to be coachable, specifically pointing to his attitude following the Penn State game when the Wolverines did not throw the ball in the second half.

While McCarthy has a chance to follow Burrow’s footsteps as a first-round pick following a national title, it’s all but guaranteed McCarthy will not be the top player in the draft. USC’s Caleb Williams continues to trend as the top player in the draft, and fans can track all the NFL Draft odds via SDS’s sports betting in Louisiana links.

As for McCarthy’s prospects, Miller admitted finding the right fit for the QB is important. However, he also believes McCarthy can light up the NFL Combine if he throws at the event.

“The fit is going to matter. There are probably going to be some bumps just because he hasn’t thrown the football as much as these other guys. He hasn’t seen as many defenses as these other guys,” Miller explained. “They play good defense in the Big Ten, he just hasn’t seen the 5 years of starts like a Bo Nix or a Michael Penix. That’s probably going to come up, but I think he’s going to put on a show if he throws at the NFL Combine.”