NFL Exec Explains J.J. McCarthy Hype: Coaches 'Realizing, S--t, He's a Pro Already'

J.J. McCarthy has gone from borderline first-round pick to mortal top-10 lock during the 2024 NFL draft process, and one NFC executive believes he knows the reason why.

"What you're seeing now is the coaches and coordinators are more involved in the draft process [in March and April], and they are realizing, s--t, he's a pro already," the exec told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "And he showed more arm strength at his pro day than I thought he had."

McCarthy is the most polarizing of the first-round lock quarterbacks, with some touting his consistent winning at Michigan and others wondering if he was propped up by an elite supporting cast.

"I just don't see it," said an AFC scout of McCarthy. "I don't see consistent accuracy, his ability to get it done inside the white lines, and [the Michigan staff] didn't call games or play offensively like they trusted him."

Michigan consistently leaned more on the ground than the passing game in its biggest games, with McCarthy attempting only eight passes in a win over Penn State and throwing the ball 18 times in the Wolverines' national championship win over Washington. Only three times last season did McCarthy attempt over 30 passes, and those came in blowout wins over East Carolina, Purdue and Iowa.

Former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, who took the Los Angeles Chargers' job this offseason, has nevertheless heaped consistent praise on the young quarterback.

"I think he plays quarterback the best of any quarterback in the draft," Harbaugh told reporters last month. "He's incredible. So, big market, small market. Cold weather, hot weather, it won't matter."

The polarizing opinions on McCarthy will mean at least half of evaluators will wind up eating crow soon enough. It'll be up to McCarthy to figure out which of those evaluators will regret their evaluation.