Michigan teammate thinks J.J. McCarthy would 'love' this team

Offensive lineman Zak Zinter protected quarterback J.J. McCarthy when both featured for the Michigan Wolverines. 

Zinter recently spoke with Greg Dudek of NESN about why McCarthy may be a great fit for a New England Patriots team that currently holds the third pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. 

"He definitely would love the culture up there, for sure," Zinter said about what McCarthy would think about joining the Patriots. 

McCarthy's unexpected draft-stock rise has made for daily sports-talk television conversations, as some now have him rated second among quarterback prospects for the upcoming player-selection process behind only USC's Caleb Williams. It was previously thought to be a lock that the Washington Commanders would make LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels the draft's second pick, but it was reported as recently as Tuesday that McCarthy "may be QB1 for both" Washington and New England. 

As for the supposed culture of the Patriots, it's worth noting that the franchise is in the early stages of a new era following the departure of legendary head coach Bill Belichick. New head coach Jerod Mayo and new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will soon be tasked with getting the best out of a rookie quarterback assuming New England leaves the draft with a first-year signal-caller. 

"J.J. is an unreal dude," Zinter said about McCarthy. "Great leader, great competitor, great friend, brother. He’s someone that would do anything for you, and you’d do anything for him. Just knowing him, playing with him for the last three years has been pretty special." 

Those who coached against and reported on McCarthy during his college days have attempted to explain why some teams may now rank him ahead of Daniels and UNC's Drake Maye. Zinter insisted the game film shows McCarthy was a true "playmaker" at Michigan. 

"You watch his film and tape and even if we let some pressure get on to him, he’s scrambling out and throwing touchdowns, first downs," Zinter added. "He’s just an incredible, dynamic player." 

In a mock draft updated on Wednesday, Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN predicted that New England will take Maye at pick No. 3 before the Minnesota Vikings trade up to the fifth choice to grab McCarthy. It sounds like some in-the-know individuals remain unconvinced the Patriots will pass on McCarthy if Washington goes with Daniels as Kiper forecasted in his latest mock.