J.J. McCarthy Draft Floor Seemingly Set And It Could Be In the First Round

The scramble for J.J. McCarthy is apparently on. 

Crazy, right? A few weeks ago, McCarthy was seemingly the No. 4, 5 or 6 quarterback in a class of NFL prospects of which only three were believed likely to be selected in the first round of the April draft.

So Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels were at the top of the draft class. And McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix were vying for a spot just behind them.

Then teams started a closer scrutiny on prospects in preparation for last week's scouting combine in Indianapolis. And at the combine, McCarthy impressed multiple teams with his interviews. And he showed surprising (to some) velocity on his passes during his on-field workout Saturday.

Jim Harbaugh names J.J. McCarthy Michigan's starting QB. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Now McCarthy has gained momentum as first-round pick.

A handful of NFL personnel people willing to share opinions in exchange for anonymity told OutKick that McCarthy's floor is not only in the first round but in the middle of the round.

So, much higher than anyone might have imagined.

Think No. 11 to the Vikings. Or No. 12 to the Broncos. Or No. 13 to the Raiders.

One NFL personnel man thinks the Broncos are McCarthy's floor.

"Everybody knows Sean Payton really likes the kid," he said. "I don't know if that's love because I wasn't in their meeting. But the rumors about Payton and McCarthy were rampant in Indy. Maybe it's smoke, but I don't think so."

Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins passes vs. the Kansas City Chiefs at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. (Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)

(Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)

McCarthy met formally with the Vikings, Broncos and Raiders. And that makes sense because all three teams have