J.J. McCarthy Sees Patriots As ‘Honor’ To Potentially Play For

J.J. McCarthy could be one of the more interesting picks when the 2024 NFL Draft begins on April 25. Could his NFL future be with the New England Patriots?

McCarthy is one of several quarterback prospects who earned a Top-30 visit with the Patriots. He told ESPN's Adam Schefter that head coach Jerod Mayo and director of scouting Eliot Wolf were "great guys" during his process.

"I know what they're building is something that I would want to be a part of," McCarthy shared on "The Adam Schefter Podcast."

Upon Schefter's follow-up, the Michigan quarterback and college national champion gave a deeper perspective on what playing for the Patriots would mean for him and the franchise.

"So much honor and respect to be able to be in that position," McCarthy offered. "With the history that's been on display for these past years. Growing up and seeing all this success. I met with Mr. (Robert) Kraft. He's like the coolest, smoothest guy I've met in a long time. Being able to know you're in good hands when the Kraft family is running that whole thing. Obviously, Coach Mayo has been a part of that success over the years. What he's building is a feeling that I got when I first stepped on to Michigan with the sense of urgency to rebuild the culture. Rebuild this team to where they want to get to and where they were."

McCarthy expressed his respect for the veterans that set the tone for the Patriots' dynasty, specifically citing former captain Matthew Slater and two-time Super Bowl champion Danny Amendola. With Mayo leading the way into 2024, McCarthy believes the Patriots have the right start to the rebuild.

"You can tell they're on the path to success and they're doing it the right way," McCarthy added.

McCarthy and the Patriots, together or not, will be among the focuses of the start of the draft in Detroit on Thursday night.