“He’ll throw a ball out of his butt”: Michigan LB Mike Barrett has a bizzare compliment for NFL-bound QB JJ McCarthy

The future team of Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy is unknown.

McCarthy has declared for the NFL draft in what is a quarterback-heavy draft class, with many QBs being predicted to be first-round and even top 10 picks.

McCarthy has not had the same level of media attention that has been seen with Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels, all of whom are predicted to be top five picks.

He needs all the support from his former Wolverines teammates to make the case to NFL teams that J.J. McCarthy should be their next quarterback.

One of these players is linebacker Mike Barrett, who, in support of McCarthy, said:

“He'll throw a ball out of his butt."

This is a strange way to tell potential NFL teams that McCarthy can throw from any position.

During the 2023 season, McCarthy recorded 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns. His completion rate was 72.3%. He was sacked 19 times and threw four interceptions.

One trait seen during his time at Michigan was his ability to be able to make a throw out of anything, including when under heavy pressure. This, combined with McCarthy's ability to perform well with the game on the line, means that he may be in line to be a top 10 pick.

However, there is some uncertainty surrounding McCarthy.

The Michigan offense for the last few seasons has been run-heavy, with McCarthy relying on running back Blake Corum to drive the field. This may lead to some thinking that McCarthy has not had enough playing time to truly develop as a QB.

Which team could draft J.J. McCarthy?

This draft class is full of talented quarterbacks, all of whom have led their teams, something that McCarthy has not done as much of, relying on the run game instead. But there may be some teams that are willing to take McCarthy if they had the chance in the first round.

One of these teams is the New England Patriots, who have been linked to McCarthy recently. They may choose him over someone like Drake Maye, as McCarthy is more experienced playing in larger stadiums and can be seen as a safer pick than Maye, whose play was inconsistent at times.

Additionally, the Minnesota Vikings could draft McCarthy to potentially replace Kirk Cousins, whose future in Minnesota remains unknown. Pairing McCarthy with Justin Jefferson could make the Vikings offense stronger.

Finally, McCarthy could find his way to the New York Giants, who pick at No. 6. If they decide to draft QB Daniel Jones’ replacement and Williams, Maye and Daniels are not available, McCarthy would be a good pick for the future.