As the excitement for the NFL Draft 2024 escalates with every passing day, a surprising twist has emerged, voiced by the new Los Angeles Chargers head coach, Jim Harbaugh. While appearing on a talk show, Harbaugh talked to host Colin Cowherd about his former quarterback at the Michigan Wolverines, J.J. McCarthy, leading to speculation about McCarthy’s upcoming draft.

According to the coach, McCarthy holds the power to defy expectations and evolve as the first quarterback to be selected in the draft. As per Harbaugh’s prediction, the former Michigan quarterback is going to hold an advantage over Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels.   

Will McCarthy end up with the Chargers?

Los Angeles Chargers’ star quarterback, Justin Herbert has completely won over his new head coach, with Harbaugh labeling him as ‘crown jewel’. Besides Herbert, Easton Stick, and ex-Patriots Will Grier, have a strong hold on the Chargers’ roster. Coach Harbaugh did not shy away from making a bold prediction surrounding his National Championship-winning quarterback, leading many to wonder if Harbaugh is planning on picking Harbaugh himself. However, if McCarthy were to be drafted by the Chargers, he might end up No. 4 on the Chargers’ depth chart. 

Harbaugh might also be considering McCarthy to be a prospective substitute for filling Herbert’s position with his impressive statistics constituting a 73% completion percentage and, 22/4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His faith in McCarthy seems to stem from the player’s outstanding performance, the previous season where he led the Wolverines to create a record of 15-0 that followed with a National Championship victory.

McCarthy’s stiff competition in NFL Draft race

Particularly at the quarterback position, the draft accommodates Heisman Trophy Winners with Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jaden Williams topping the list. As McCarthy enters the fray, Harbaugh believes that his stock will rise significantly in the coming months. To back up the coach’s projection, there prevails predications brought about by NFL Network’s mock draft projections. 

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According to them, Williams is anticipated to enter Chicago Bears while Maye’s path will land him in Washington Commanders. In the case of Daniels, chances lie high for the New England Patriots. These predictions leave McCarthy with a projected landing spot as the 19th pick for the Los Angeles Rams. However, Harbaugh brings forward a list of teams who are likely to target the quarterback in the first round of the draft. McCarthy’s potential suitors include Patriots, Bears, Commanders, Broncos, and Raiders among others.   

In some other news, Harbaugh himself was the last Michigan quarterback to be selected in the first round back in 1987. Hence, as the coach himself returns to the NFL, it will be an emotional moment for him as parallels are drawn between his own draft experience with McCarthy’s potential trajectory. 

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