Broncos Should Listen to What J.J. McCarthy's QB Coach Just Disclosed

Oregon's Bo Nix is a trending name after Woody Paige's recent forecast and Pro Football Focus mocking the quarterback to the Denver Broncos complete with a ringing endorsement.

PFF's Trevor Sikkema had previously espoused his belief that Nix is indeed a "perfect fit" for Denver, and while that has turned some heads, we can rest assured that Sean Payton and company will be keeping their options open at pick No. 12.

Indeed, it could be said that Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy falls into the same bracket Nix does. Once the risk of 'reaching' for either of them in the NFL draft is dismissed, the possibility of both QBs becoming a star at the next level is real, if they land in the right place. 

Nix and McCarthy have some similar tools in terms of possessing NFL-caliber arm strength and the ability to extend plays with their legs. What McCarthy may hold over Nix, under a direct comparison, is that prestigious National Championship on his resume, and the fact he's nearly four years his junior.

McCarthy was groomed for the professional game by his private throwing coach, Greg Holcomb, who owns Next Level Athletix. As Holcomb worked McCarthy into NFL shape, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was used as a notable case study.

"I take a lot of video," McCarthy said his process via Jori Parys of CBS News Chicago. "I'll record a game like you know, Patrick Mahomes, for example, is kind of a like go-to —and then show our kids that, and then we try to like put a drill together around that, and J'J.was the kind of kid who would nail it on the first throw."

Using Mahomes' game as an inspiration is understandable, considering his NFL accomplishments, but Holcomb also lifted the lid on the vast array of source material McCarthy taps into to develop his ever-evolving skills as a quarterback.

"He's just so mature—I mean, you saw, like, he does his mental and all the things that he does before the game," Holcomb said. "I mean, he reads books on Navy SEALS and meditation. I think he is the best quarterback to come through Michigan, and I think he's got a ton of potential in front of him."

As we wrote about not even two weeks ago, McCarthy's coach at Michigan, Jim Harbaugh, whom the Los Angeles Chargers just hired as head coach, made it clear how he feels about his protege's NFL readiness. 

"I can't lie and say I don't think he's NFL-ready," Harbaugh said. "I very much think he's NFL-ready.

When NFL teams assemble their plethora of data on McCarthy, his 27-1 record as a starter is going to be boldly underlined, perhaps more than any other factor, as will some of Holcomb's glowing commendations.

"He's so selfless," Holcomb said McCarthy. "There's so many non-football things I could say about him, and so it's just really special to see him do all that."

It's all background information on McCarthy that the Broncos should take heed of. After all, a youth movement is seemingly afoot in the Mile High City.  

Payton's desire for the Broncos to get younger was made apparent by how he ruthlessly jettisoned underperforming veteran edge rushers Randy Gregory and Frank Clark early in the 2023 season. That was followed by the controversial decision to bench a 35-year-old Russell Wilson with two games left to go.

No doubt, selecting a rookie quarterback fairly early in the draft would turn the page on Wilson, but the Broncos are expected to make a decision on the veteran QB's future well before then. Selecting a 21-year-old passer like McCarthy might be the natural evolution of the youth movement Payton has sparked in Denver, and however it shakes out, it's fated to be the most dramatic move he's made yet.