JJ McCarthy has been on the rise, flying up NFL Draft boards after leading Michigan to a national championship. However, not everyone is sold on his prospects to come off the board early next Thursday night.

McCarthy certainly has his supporters, including Rich Eisen. He made the case for McCarthy to be a top-5 pick when things get rolling, arguing it “makes sense” for the New York Giants to trade up to No. 4 overall to get their quarterback of the future.

“Arizona doesn’t have to move down that far, and they know New York is moving up to take a QB… if this happens, I would love it,” said Eisen. “Good Lord would I love it, and it would be great for JJ McCarthy to go to New York City.”

Eisen continued to rave about McCarthy’s leadership and ability to make all the throws. He also labeled McCarthy a winner for constantly elevating Michigan.

ESPN’s Booger McFarland was less supportive of that type of idea. He questioned if McCarthy is even one of the 4th-best players in this draft.

“There’s no way you can convince me J.J. McCarthy is the third-best player in this draft. I don’t think he’s the fourth-best player in this draft,” McFarland claimed. “…Can we honestly say he’s the 4th-best player in the draft?”

What sportsbooks are saying

While McCarthy’s stock as a top-5 pick is rising, he does not have the best odds for any of the top 5 picks at ESPN Bet. Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are the favorites to become the top 3 picks while McCarthy is listed at +250 to be the No. 3 pick and +300 to be the No. 4 pick.

A lot of those odds likely have to do with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Arizona’s need for a No. 1 target to work with Kyler Murray. Harrison is -175 to be selected as the 4th pick by DraftKings, and he’s -500 to be the first non-QB selected in the draft.

If the Cardinals have Harrison as the overwhelmingly best WR prospect available, it will be tough to move out of the 4th overall pick.

As for McCarthy, the Minnesota Vikings remain the favorite to select McCarthy with ESPN Bet listing the Vikings at +105 and DraftKings putting the Vikings at +120. Without trading up, the Vikings currently hold the 11th overall pick, and the latest trends indicate Minnesota likely needs to move up in order to grab McCarthy.