Broncos held a private workout with Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy a day after his pro day

After impressing at his pro day, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy met Sean Payton and the Broncos

Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton met with the media today at the NFL League Meetings and gave us some information regarding one of the top quarterbacks in the upcoming NFL Draft. He told reporters that while he was not present at McCarthy’s pro day, the team had a private meeting/workout with him and spent “four or five hours” with him and made him throw all over again.

Broncos general manager George Paton was present at the Michigan Pro Day but the team wanted a closer look at the potential top 5 pick the next day with Sean Payton present. McCarthy has long been connected to the Broncos throughout the process but his rise up the board has him likely out of their reach at 12th overall. This would mean the Broncos would need to make a big trade-up to get McCarthy in the draft. Head coach Sean Payton was asked about this and he told reporters that a trade-up scenario is “realistic” for the Broncos.

“I think that’s realistic,” Payton said. “I think it’s realistic. What’s hard to predict, though, is what’s on the receiving end. I think it’s good to be Monti today at Arizona. So it’s hard to predict what that cost is and yet I certainly wouldn’t say it’s unrealistic and we’ll pay close attention to it.”

McCarthy has been viewed as the fourth quarterback to go off the board and that is why he mentions to the Cardinals General Manager who is sitting in a good spot. He can either sit at 4th overall and take the best non-quarterback prospect on their board or accept a mega-trade offer from a team that will set them up with multiple first-round picks in the future. The Broncos would likely be in a bidding war with the Minnesota Vikings if that were the case who looked ready to make a major trade-up of their own.

With all that said, will McCarthy even be available at fourth overall? There is smoke that the Commanders may select the Michigan quarterback with their second overall pick according to NFL Network’s Tom Peliserro. So, that could throw a wrench into the potential plans for the Broncos and other teams.

Payton was later asked what he wanted to learn from quarterback prospects in these pre-draft private meetings. He told reporters that he wants to find out how they process information and how quickly they can do it. He has continuously told reporters this offseason that processing is the key trait he is looking for with these quarterbacks. He runs a quick-rhythm offense that requires his quarterback to process information quickly and get the ball out fast, If they cannot do that, then they do not fit his offense which he has had success with throughout his coaching career.

McCarthy checks these boxes and it is likely that Payton and the Broncos came away impressed with what they learned in these meetings. Will they have a chance at selecting McCarthy in the draft? Well, that is something we will learn in the coming weeks but the odds of that happening get lower and lower as we near the start of the draft.

I would expect Payton and the Broncos to do the same with North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Oregon’s Bo Nix, and the rest of the quarterbacks they are interested in. What happens after that is the million-dollar question. Will they move up for a guy? Can they move up for their guy? or can they get their guy by staying at 12 or moving back?

We’ll find out when they make their selection in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft next month.