INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy makes no apologies about his statistics falling short in a tale of the tape with the top-ranked passers in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he’s ready to talk wins and losses.
McCarthy exited Ann Arbor in January on the heels of a national title win over Washington and has lost only three games — one with the Wolverines compared to 27 victories — since he began his high school football career (34-2 as a starter).
So what would an NFL team be getting if they went with McCarthy over the past two Heisman Trophy winners — Caleb Williams of USC and Jayden Daniels of LSU?
“I would say, tough, gritty guy who only cares about winning at the end of the day,” McCarthy said Friday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “Loves the game of football with a burning passion, loves his teammates. Just pretty much everything you’d want in starting quarterback.”
Meetings with multiple teams with a need at the position dominated the past two nights for McCarthy. He said he had formal interviews with the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, Chicago Bears, Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants, among others.
“I just let them know who I am. That’s something that a lot of people don’t know, and it’s not just putting it on a front.” McCarthy said. “I want them to actually understand that I truly love the game of football, I truly love my teammates and want to do nothing but win football games.”
McCarthy plans to throw in Saturday’s on-field session for quarterbacks, when participation will otherwise be sparse. Williams, Daniels and North Carolina’s Drake Maye all have opted out of the passing session.
Because of hamstring tightness, McCarthy will not run the 40 or do the vertical or broad jump at the combine.
Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson expects McCarthy to open a lot of eyes, even in a limited workout.
“I think a lot of people like to say like he can’t throw. I feel like he’s an unbelievable quarterback,” Wilson said. “You guys are going to see at pro day or even here, his arm talent is through the roof. He’s one of the better quarterbacks in this draft.”
–Field Level Media
