Harbaugh reiterates belief McCarthy is NFL draft's best QB

J.J. McCarthy is among the fastest-rising NFL draft prospects, and Jim Harbaugh continues to fuel his former quarterback's hype every chance he gets.

"I think he plays quarterback the best of any quarterback in the draft," said Harbaugh, according to ESPN's Kris Rhim. "He's incredible. So, big market, small market. Cold weather, hot weather, it won't matter."

Harbaugh, who won the national championship with McCarthy before leaving to take over the Los Angeles Chargers, predicted in early February that the 21-year-old would be the first quarterback selected April 25.

While it appears all but certain that USC passer Caleb Williams will go first overall to the Chicago Bears, McCarthy has gone from a fringe first-round prospect to a potential top-10 selection and a legitimate challenger to the next-best quarterback prospects in North Carolina's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels.

Harbaugh said he heard great things about McCarthy's pro day and team interviews from other NFL decision-makers.

"That was the best throwing day I've ever seen," Harbaugh said. "Like I predicted, once they were around him, I was hearing the stories about how he is on the board, how he is on the field, the little things, the intangibles. I mean, it was absolutely no surprise whatsoever. But yeah, there was raving, and it was great to hear and incredible to hear."

McCarthy doesn't have the production of the other top signal-callers - 72.3% completion rate for 2,991 passing yards and 22 touchdowns against four interceptions in 2023 - in part due to Michigan's run-heavy scheme.

However, the Wolverines quarterback - who went No. 4 overall to the Minnesota Vikings after a trade-up in theScore's latest mock draft - boasts the third-best winning percentage by a quarterback in college football history (27-1 record).