NFL draft speculation is heightening once again, as the first round promises plenty of intrigue when it begins in Detroit on April 25. The 2024 class is being regarded as a strong one, as multiple franchise-changing players — especially at quarterback — are expected to fly off the board with the early picks.
But new Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh thinks there could be a shock at the top of the 2024 NFL Draft, and he has turned heads with a proclamation about one of his draft-eligible former players at the University of Michigan.
Speaking to talk show host Colin Cowherd on Friday, Harbaugh praised his former quarterback J.J. McCarthy — and even insisted that he could be the first quarterback selected, ahead of Heisman Trophy winners Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels.
“Arm talent, athleticism, ‘it’ factor, winning with numbing repetition, don’t be surprised if or when he is the number one quarterback off the board,” Harbaugh said.
Granted, Harbaugh is biased, as he coached McCarthy for the past three seasons at Michigan and watched him blossom into one of college football’s better quarterbacks — and a national championship winner to boot. But McCarthy’s NCAA record — 27 wins out of 28 decisions — and the intangible qualities Harbaugh described Friday could make the Wolverines star a name to watch in the first round, even if Williams, Daniels, and Drake Maye are among the quarterbacks expected to hear their names called first.
