The superlatives just keep piling up for Notre Dame football's QB1 CJ Carr. Now, one analyst believes that Carr has enough talent and smarts to be a first-round pick in the NFL Draft, whether that's after the 2026 season or 2027.
Count insider Steve Palazzolo among those who believe Carr has the stuff to be a very early pick in whichever draft he decides to enter. He broke down exactly why he thinks the Irish QB has such a great profile when he appeared on a recent episode of the Andy & Ari show.
CJ Carr has Notre Dame football drawing first-round NFL Draft buzz already
"I just think Carr, you know, being a redshirt freshman last year, I thought he did a really nice job. He's got some aggressiveness to him. I think he's got enough tools. I just think he's going to develop and be in this mix. In the first round, whenever that is, whether it's next year, whether it's the year after."
“I just think he’s going to develop and be in this mix to be in the first round whenever that is — whether it’s next year or the year after.”
— Andy Staples (@AndyStaples) May 6, 2026
— @StevePalazzolo_ on Notre Dame QB C.J. Carr. pic.twitter.com/XyGJ0wGjpX
The insider also admitted what the world of college football is now, which means that the Notre Dame quarterback showing anything at all means people start talking about him early. However, Palazzolo believes Carr lives up to the hype.
"It's just we're in an interesting world where if a guy shows any semblance of good, we just say, 'Well, future first-rounder,' and we know it doesn't always work out. I just think Carr is going to continue to develop."
CJ Carr gives Notre Dame football a chance to cash in on growing first-round hype
"He's still young, and he's shown a lot, I thought, for Notre Dame. I think he's got everything you want. I think he's going to have a huge season this year, and we'll be having those discussions. Should he come out? Should he go back to school? So I do like Carr quite a bit."
It's not remotely hard to figure out why Carr has so many analysts so excited. His numbers as a first-year starter, in his redshirt freshman season, were plenty impressive. He enters his second year as one of the favorites for the Heisman Trophy.
Should Carr play like a potential first-round NFL Draft pick, it would be good for him. It would be great for the Notre Dame football team.
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