There’s chatter within betting circles that J.J. McCarthy is trending up draft boards, showcased by DraftKings showing the Michigan quarterback moving up the rankings.
McCarthy now has the second-best odds to be selected No. 4 overall (+650), behind clear prohibitive favorite Marvin Harrison Jr. at -200 odds.
Harrison was initially -650 to land with the Cardinals, owners of the fourth pick.
Prior to this week, McCarthy wasn’t even listed to be selected No. 4 overall on several books, while others had him listed in the 30/1 range.
His odds movement vaulting him to the second-highest option is certainly noteworthy, given the pick being held by the Cardinals. Remember that betting on a player to be selected at a certain draft slot isn’t the same as betting on him to be picked by a specific team.
The expectation is still that the former Ohio State Buckeye land at No. 4, giving quarterback Kyler Murray a key weapon in the Arizona offense.
It is very unlikely that Murray will be pushed to the side for McCarthy, making the odds movement even more curious and piquing some speculation that the Cardinals are shopping the pick.
A team looking to get all the way up to No. 4 must be fearful that the Giants are truly toying with the idea of drafting McCarthy at No. 6.
There was some speculation and resulting odds movement that McCarthy could be a target of Big Blue when his odds moved from 22/1 to +470.
In theory, this massive move for a potential McCarthy No. 4 pick selection fuels that interest that the Giants are indeed looking in that direction.
If a team like Broncos who are sitting at No. 12, want McCarthy, they might want to get ahead of the Vikings (No. 11) and Giants to select their guy.
Reports out of the combine stated that Denver coach Sean Payton is “quite enamored” with McCarthy.
But it seems like he might not even get that far.
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If the Broncos don’t trade up for McCarthy, they risk losing him altogether, while the Raiders are also in need of a long-term solution at quarterback while sitting in the No. 13 slot.
They would need to leapfrog the Vikings and Broncos, and if the Giants’ flirtations are real, they would need to get past No. 6 as well.