CFP/Getty ImagesThere is a possibility Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be drafted at No. 5 Thursday, but ESPN's Adam Schefter doesn't believe that move will be made by McCarthy's former college head coach Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers.
"I say there's a sucker born every minute because there's no chance in hell that the Chargers are drafting a quarterback tomorrow night. None. Not happening," Schefter said Wednesday morning on ESPN's Get Up.
"Now, would Jim Harbaugh love to have [J.J. McCarthy]? Sure," Schefter continued. "They just signed Justin Herbert to a contract extension last summer. They are not drafting J.J. McCarthy and I don't know why those odds would spike like that.
"Might there be a quarterback that goes at the No. 5 spot? Yes, I could see the Chargers trading their spot to a team that wants to move into that spot to go draft maybe J.J. McCarthy. That certainly is possible but the Los Angeles Chargers will not, will not, will not draft a quarterback at No. 5 on Thursday night."
The Chargers signed Justin Herbert last July to a five-year, $262.5 million deal that marked one of the most lucrative quarterback contracts in NFL history and locked in the team's starting signal caller through 2029.
Los Angeles needs pieces to slot in around Herbert, but given the demand for quarterbacks within the top five or six picks, the Chargers could gain some extra draft assets by trading down from No. 5.
The latest 2024 NFL mock draft from the B/R NFL Scouting Department projects the Chargers sliding down to No. 11 and taking Alabama offensive tackle JC Latham while allowing the Minnesota Vikings to grab McCarthy.
Harbaugh coached McCarthy and the Wolverines to a CFP national championship in January. Now, as Schefter noted last Friday on ESPN's SportsCenter, Harbaugh and the Chargers' hold on the No. 5 pick could allow Harbaugh to "dictate, ultimately where J.J. McCarthy goes."
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