NFL combine: Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy takes field in Indy to throw, bolster NFL Draft stock

J.J. McCarthy took the field Saturday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in his latest quest to improve his NFL Draft stock before April.

The former Michigan quarterback, who led the Wolverines to their first national title in decades earlier this year, didn’t participate in the broad or vertical jumps or the 40-yard dash due to what he called “hamstring tightness.” He did, though, throw in the on-field workout.

He got some good looks in, too, including one perfect deep ball.

While it wasn’t perfect — McCarthy often struggles to throw left outside the numbers, which he did again on Saturday — he seemed to have a very large fan base watching him in Indianapolis.

McCarthy racked up a career-high 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions last season with the Wolverines. He threw for 221 yards and had three touchdowns in their overtime win against Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and then led the Wolverines to a blowout win over Washington to win the program’s first national championship since 1997.

He quickly declared for the NFL Draft after winning the title. It’s unclear where McCarthy will fall in the draft later this spring, though Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice had him going No. 11 overall to the Minnesota Vikings in their latest mock draft.

While McCarthy is well aware that there are better quarterbacks than him in this year’s draft class on paper — he’s the fourth quarterback off the board in Yahoo Sports’ latest mock draft behind Drake Maye, Caleb Williams and Heisman winner Jayden Daniels — McCarthy knows he’s the only quarterback to mount an undefeated national title run, and he’s not afraid to lean into it.

While he threw on Saturday, J.J. McCarthy didn’t run the 40-yard dash or participate in the broad or vertical jumps due to hamstring tightness. (AP/Darron Cummings)

“You know, like, stats for me aren’t really the big thing, and all I really cared about was being the best teammate I could be and being the best quarterback I could possibly be,” McCarthy said Friday, via ESPN’s Jeff Legwold. “And the only stat I cared about was W’s, and we did pretty good in that category.”

Where McCarthy ends up going in the draft is still anybody’s guess. Until that time comes, though, McCarthy is doing all he can to position himself among the country’s top quarterbacks.

“Tough, gritty guy who only cares about winning at the end of the day,” McCarthy said Friday when asked to give a scouting report on himself. “Loves the game of football with a burning passion, loves his teammates, pretty much everything you want in a starting quarterback.”