Doubts Loom Over Jim Harbaugh’s Prophecy as JJ McCarthy Suffers Slight Hiccup at the NFL Combine

JJ McCarthy might have an upper hand in the NFL scout, thanks to his former head coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh calling McCarthy ‘the best QB in Michigan’s history’ is still fresh. This paired with the prediction he made for McCarthy’s future on the Colin Cowherd show has italicized the QB’s name in the NFL scouts’ books. When Jim Harbaugh confidently stated that McCarthy would easily be ‘the first QB taken in the draft’, he had his reasons. “Arm talent, athleticism, ‘it’ factor, winning with numbing repetition,” Harbaugh said to Cowherd.

However, this is where the expectations from JJ McCarthy touched the ceiling. Well, it’s only natural when it’s coming from one of the most talked about coaches in the NFL and the college football alike. The mounting pressure was unable to fix the flaws McCarthy walked in the NFL Combine with. Per a report by Derrik Klassen, McCarthy was messing up his passing drills, especially throwing, as confirmed by the NFL network as well.

On Saturday, it was observed that McCarthy struggles when throwing toward the outside, particularly towards the left. This resulted in him missing behind the receivers a few times. He even struggled with deep passes as the receivers had to drift towards the sidelines, where scouts raised a brow. It was not all bad as he tried to make up for it on the other side of the field. Speaking about the right side of the field, McCarthy’s all four deep outs were right on the money and went well with his smooth throws to the cornerbacks.

Hence, to rectify the hiccup, McCarthy might need to work on giving that polished finish to his arm strength. If he convinces the scouts of his improvement, he’ll lure in more franchises, other than the 6 ones already interested in him.

The 7 NFL giants invested in JJ McCarthy

Jim Harbaugh’s prophecy might remain a suspense till the draft day. However, looking at the heavyweight mix of the ones who have held talks with the touted QB, it seems that the prophecy might become a self-fulfilling one. Chicago Bears, who hold the first pick in the NFL draft in 2024, is one of the 7 teams who have considered JJ McCarthy as their next QB. However, the Bears have a tough competition, as the Raiders, the Seahawks, the Patriots, the Broncos, the Buccs, and the Steelers are all predicted as the top landing spots for McCarthy.

READ ALSO: NFL Combine: J.J McCarthy Suffers Concerning Setback, Set to Miss 40 Yard Dash & Jump

With the best of the NFL franchises at his disposal, McCarthy’s choice is brewing as much as the anticipatory results at the end of the NFL Scouting Combine. Another question clouding the fans’ minds is Jim Harbaugh choosing JJ McCarthy, especially when he has experience coaching him and believes so much in his abilities. The answers to all these questions will only be unveiled on the draft day. Till then, however, which team do you think would be the perfect pick for McCarthy?