Jim Harbaugh Makes Bold Prediction for Top Pick in 2024 NFL Draft

New Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh won’t have the top pick in the 2024 NFL draft, but that doesn’t mean he is without opinion on whom should be selected No. 1.

Many observers believe a quarterback will be selected with the first pick, but whether that’s the Chicago Bears or another team making the selection remains to be seen. Regardless, Harbaugh believes that the top quarterback taken will be J.J. McCarthy, his starting quarterback the past two seasons at Michigan.

“Arm talent, athleticism, ‘it’ factor, winning with numbing repetition. Don’t be surprised if, when he’s the No. 1 quarterback off the board. That’s my prediction right now,” Harbaugh said Friday on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “When people get a load of J.J. and how he can throw the ball, how he spins it, his athleticism, his intelligence … the competitiveness that he has. If they get around him, and really start digging in … that’s an early prediction for the 2024 NFL draft.”

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Jim Harbaugh on J.J. McCarthy:

"Don't be surprised if and when he's the number one QB off the board. That's my prediction right now." pic.twitter.com/58kGRBEt7W
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) February 2, 2024

McCarthy was a winner through and through in his time with the Wolverines, posting a 26–1 record as a starter. In three seasons at Michigan, he completed 67.6% of his passes for 6,226 yards with 49 touchdown passes and just 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 632 yards and 10 touchdowns.

McCarthy led Michigan to the 2022 College Football Playoff, and did it once again in 2023, this time winning a national championship. With the Bears currently holding the top pick in April’s draft, it’s also worth noting that McCarthy is a native of the Chicago area.

McCarthy remains one of the most intriguing quarterback prospects in the draft. His track record speaks for itself, but he is not as highly regarded as some of the other QB prospects in the class of ’24. McCarthy is predicted by many experts to be selected after USC’s Caleb Williams, North Carolina’s Drake Maye and LSU’s Jayden Daniels.

It’s not the first time Harbaugh has heaped praise onto McCarthy. Prior to the CFP national championship game, Harbaugh called McCarthy the best QB in Michigan history even better than Tom Brady.