For whatever reason, one of the knocks on J.J. McCarthy leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft was that he doesn't have high-level arm strength. Despite there being plenty of moments on his Michigan tape where he showed off serious zip, that was one of the primary concerns expressed by various scouts and draft analysts.
Because McCarthy got hurt last season and hasn't yet made his regular season debut, that narrative still exists to some degree, even though everything we've seen from him in practice — and heard from his teammates and coaches — suggests it isn't a problem. Look no further than a Wednesday rant from FOX Sports' Colin Cowherd, who called McCarthy's arm "modest" and said he doesn't have a "great trait."
Speaking to reporters after Thursday's final minicamp practice, McCarthy was asked about that notion and where he thinks it might've come from.
"There were scouting reports from credible sources that you didn't have arm strength or it was OK," said SKOR North's Judd Zulgad. "Do you know where that started? Or how surprised were you? Because in watching you for five practices, there might be some things I see, but it ain't arm strength."
"That's a great question, Judd," said a smiling McCarthy. "I would say, a lot of it just comes with the stigma of playing at Michigan and not throwing the ball a lot. At the same time, it could be my frame. They don't see a 6'5", 240 guy, so how can he throw it 61 miles an hour at the combine and all that? But at the end of the day, it's gonna show up. And the people that know, know. I think it's just the situations I've been in and maybe not passing the eye test for some people."
Having also watched McCarthy for five practices, my guess would be folks like Cowherd won't have much to say about his arm strength when they see him play this fall. The 22-year-old can really spin it. And whether it's Josh Metellus or Justin Jefferson or Kevin O'Connell or a number of other teammates and coaches, everyone who's been around McCarthy speaks highly of his ability to fire the ball to his intended target with plenty of pace.
"He has a very strong arm," Jefferson said on Thursday. "The velocity of the ball and the spin on the ball, he has a tight spin. It definitely comes to you very quick, quicker than what you expect. His accuracy and his ability to put it in those tight windows, that's something that we're really gonna need during the season."
For McCarthy, ripping the fastball isn't an issue. What he's been working on throughout this offseason largely has to do with knowing when to change up the speed and be able to layer the ball over a defender with touch. That's something he said he'll continue to focus on when he's throwing with teammates over the next six weeks leading up to training camp.
"It just comes with the reps on reps and the feel, just like you're working on your chips in a golf game," McCarthy said. "Just finding that feel over and over again. Having this much time off and not throwing the ball since the injury, just finding that feel again. It's just an ultimate blessing that I get to get out here and take advantage of these six weeks off and really work on those different kind of pitches."
