Harbaugh makes bold claim on Cowherd

Submitted by jhayes1189 on February 3rd, 2024 at 4:23 PM

Surprised I haven’t seen this posted yet. At the end of this interview, Harbaugh claims to Cowherd, “don’t be surprised if JJ McCarthy is the first QB off the board in the 2024 NFL draft”.

https://youtu.be/3QAT0oD1sIc?si=ZsWCo8093g-EB6F-

Twidiots (Twitter idiots) are roasting Harbaugh for this and giving us their daily dose of undeserved McCarthy hate. 

Discuss….

goblue2121

February 3rd, 2024 at 4:26 PM ^

Coach thinks very highly of his NC QB. Not really all that surprising. JJ never made any of it about him and that attitude will translate well to an NFL locker room.

blueheron

February 3rd, 2024 at 5:02 PM ^

It's not like J.J. ran the triple option and had a handful of short tosses to the tight ends.

If I'm evaluating a QB and looking at numbers, I'm thinking completion percentage (at various ranges) and TD:INT, to name just two, are more important than the number of passes the guy chucked.

Blue@LSU

February 3rd, 2024 at 4:27 PM ^

I would be surprised just because McCarthy doesn't have the same volume as other QBs in the draft. I do think, though, that he'll have one of the best careers of this year's QB draft class. 

jdemille9

February 3rd, 2024 at 5:20 PM ^

The metrics for which the average fan (or Mel Kiper Jr) evaluate QB's is very misleading. So not surprising there is some 'hate' towards McCarthy as not being that good. 

Intangibles are such a huge part of QB and as Tom Brady has shown, you cannot even attempt to measure those. That said, I hope JJ falls to the back half of the first round and goes to a good team. 

rice4114

February 3rd, 2024 at 6:19 PM ^

If JJ takes off even slightly like Brady did I think the mindset changes for these NFL schmucks. 

Whether you are tossing 50 times a game or 25 you can still evaluate 50 passing attempts and the outcome. We gonna ding a NFL draftee because he is a cheerleader, for most games, in the 4th quarter? They are dumb to discount JJ. Really dumb. 

potomacduc

February 3rd, 2024 at 6:43 PM ^

When you’re passing 50x per game as a QB, you are the offense.
When you pass <25, you’re leaning heavily on a running game and passing is a change-up. 

I’m not saying JJ can’t carry the weight of a pass heavy NFL style attack, but I am saying he’s never done it. I am also saying that throwing 50 passes over 3 games is simply not the same thing as throwing 50 passes in a single game.

It’s not just sample size, it’s situational. Think about a baseball pitcher throwing a slider100x in a game versus the same pitcher throwing 100 sliders over 3 games. I’m guess his batting average against the slider in those two scenarios would be very different. 
 

That’s not a perfect analogy, but you should get what I am saying. 
I think JJ will have at least a good and possibly a great NFL career. That being said, I can see some having doubts. 

jdemille9

February 3rd, 2024 at 5:20 PM ^

The metrics for which the average fan (or Mel Kiper Jr) evaluate QB's is very misleading. So not surprising there is some 'hate' towards McCarthy as not being that good. 

Intangibles are such a huge part of QB and as Tom Brady has shown, you cannot even attempt to measure those. That said, I hope JJ falls to the back half of the first round and goes to a good team. 

Killer Khakis

February 3rd, 2024 at 4:35 PM ^

Something I noticed from his interview on the Herd and Eisen’s show is Jim seems more loose, relaxed, and frankly happier. He has a more jovial demeanor like when he started here, I think the stress of OSU, NCAA, and cycle of CFB got to him. Happy for him but JJ is a project, not the #1 pick, he will need time to develop IMO 

kalamazoo

February 3rd, 2024 at 4:47 PM ^

I watched the Eisen interview and didn't think Harbaugh completely wanted to be there (my take), but I think he wants to keep connections, show appreciation and love for Michigan (hopefully assists recruiting and keeps michigan strong), and otherwise smooth out wrinkles.

Recruiting takes a load off most definitely. And it is not camp time yet for NFL so good timing before 100% dialed in.

Also raises profile of Chargers. Probably Chargers brass is expecting it or asked for it to improve brand awareness and Harbaugh has some flexibility with whom he chooses to talk with to make it more palatable. If you can get airtime and show excitement, get that marketing in, free agents will look more favorably to the Bolts too.

JMo

February 3rd, 2024 at 4:40 PM ^

Alternative subject lines with equal clickbait appeal...

You WON'T BELIEVE what Jim Harbaugh has to say!

5 things Jim Harbaugh said on Colin Cowherd that you won't believe!

Jim Harbaugh with SHOCKING revelation about JJ McCarthy

Harbaugh makes groundshaking draft prediction you WONT BELIEVE!

Harbaugh makes bold claim on Cowherd!

 

Someone ask Huel if we can get 10 picture/page click galleries to go with these subject lines. 

San Diego Mick

February 3rd, 2024 at 4:40 PM ^

I saw that interview, Harbaugh is just pumping up his QB, JJ was great and a winner but he didn't have to throw as much because we dominated in the run game and low and behold, it works because the offenses of today have made defenses softer than in years past. 

JJ will he a successful QB in the NFL  because he has the talent,  athletic ability and arm strength to go with a high IQ and his leadership and unselfishness will be a huge asset, he'll impress at the combine and pro day and solidify a 1st rd pick.

Broken Brilliance

February 3rd, 2024 at 4:46 PM ^

We're all biased but after watching five minutes of Jayden Daniels highlights I basically saw all deep balls that Nabers and Thomas ran under as well as a shit ton of scrambling with no intermediate throws. How is he different than Justin Fields exactly? Putting Nix or Penix above JJ at their age is ludicrous IMO.

JJ is 20 years old with exceptional athletic traits, leadership, and passing vision at all levels. He is fearless and will let it rip into a cereal box window or take off running but not too much. I expect the draft community to stat watch of course but if you're worried about JJ keeping up in a shootout he did that in last year's Fiesta Bowl (after two crippling pick sixes which of course are concerning). Get him on the Rams or *retch* Vikings and he'll be Jordan Love in 2-3 years.

1VaBlue1

February 3rd, 2024 at 4:46 PM ^

I honestly wouldn't be surprised.  He's a winner, he's humble with enough self-esteem to know he's that good, has a team first attitude, and will impress the ever-loving shit out of NFL execs in interviews.  And I think his arm is every bit as talented as Williams, Penix, or Maye.  Plus, I think he's a better player than all three in the pocket and running around.  He's tailor made to step right into an NFL offense because of Harbaugh.

If he's not the first off the board, he will be the best of the entire draft class by the time its all over.

ShawarmaChameleon

February 3rd, 2024 at 4:54 PM ^

Asinine comment from JH. What would the league want with a guy who went 27-1 as a starter, made impossible throws, didn't turn the ball over, is a great all-around athlete and a god-level manifester of positive energy?

Jay-Z

February 3rd, 2024 at 5:00 PM ^

This is very on brand with Harbaugh. He always promotes his players. I briefly remember him doing an interview at Stanford with other Pac 12 coaches and they asked him which qb would he take if he couldn’t have his starter and he said I’d have to go with my back up. 

jdemille9

February 3rd, 2024 at 5:04 PM ^

From the casual fan perspective, JJ is not the top QB so this isn't really hate. He was in a system most cannot understand and he didn't have the gaudy numbers you want to see from your QB. 

42-27

February 3rd, 2024 at 5:05 PM ^

Remember when John O'Korn said he was the most NFL-ready QB in the (2018?) upcoming draft?  The predraft talk by people trying to hype themselves or their players up is silly.

 

chalkeater

February 3rd, 2024 at 5:13 PM ^

Side thought not worth a thread of its own - if forced to choose between Corum and Frank Gore Jr. in this draft, will Harbaugh's mind simply melt? One of his favorite players of all time vs the son of his favorite player of all time?