Of all the quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, J.J. McCarthy has been the most mysterious. Following the National Championship, McCarthy was seen as a fringe first-rounder who could end up falling to the second round depending on the needs of teams following free-agency trades. Following a strong NFL Combine, McCarthy moved to being a solid Top 15 pick, and today, following a report by Forbes, it appears McCarthy could go as high as a top-five pick if the cards fall right.
The Minnesota Vikings Are Likely Setting Up For J.J. McCarthy
Earlier this week, the Minnesota Vikings lost their starting QB, Kirk Cousins, to the Atlanta Falcons and then quickly signed LA Rams backup Sam Darnold. The move looked suspicious and odd to pick up Darnold as quickly as they did. Darnold is an alright quarterback, and certainly as the potential of being an effective starter in the NFL, but he doesn’t come across as the kind of player that gets picked up within 24 hours of losing a franchise quarterback.
It’s all starting to make sense now.
Along with picking up Darnold, the Vikings made a picks trade with Houston, where the Vikings get the No. 23 and 232nd pick this year while the Texans get No. 42, 188, and a 2025 2nd-round pick. While getting the 23rd pick may not sound very helpful in moving up, the Vikings also hold the No. 11 pick overall, which could be attractive for a team like the LA Chargers at five or the Atlanta Falcons at eight, who aren’t looking for QB or extremely high pick per-say.
Sam Darnold Is a Solid Option at QB Short Term of Backup
If the Vikings were to get J.J. McCarthy, they would have a solid option with Sam Darnold as either a one-year starter to let McCarthy acclimate to the NFL or at least to add an intense quarterback competition going into the season. Either way, Darnold is certainly considered in the top tier of backups and, for many teams, including possibly the Vikings next season, a starter who could still turn his career around.
It’s unlikely that the Vikings won’t draft a QB. They may be fine with going with Darnold in 2024, but they certainly don’t want to get into a situation where he is the only player they have, should he not play well or get injured. Last year, the Vikings were down to their fourth-string quarterback after they didn’t have a backup capable of leading them to wins.
Conclusion
Ncaa Fiesta Bowl Game
There is little doubt that the Bears, Commanders, and Patriots will select the first three quarterbacks in the NFL Draft. All three teams need quarterbacks. Some rumors suggest that the Patriots may select McCarthy over Drake Maye, but for the most part, it does feel like Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye will be the first three players off the board.
Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. are other fringe first-round quarterbacks. Still, both players are a bit riskier than McCarthy, who feels like the player with the lowest ceiling but the highest floor, given his proven record over the past two seasons at Michigan.
If the Vikings like McCarthy enough, they now seem to have the capital and first-round picks to make it happen if they want him bad enough.
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