The Minnesota Vikings are probably going to add to the QB room behind Sam Darnold via the NFL draft, but with which player at which pick remain open questions that carry serious implications.
Minnesota owns the No. 11 overall selection and if the team doesn’t trade up, that decision will significantly limit its potential to land one of the top three or four prospects at the position in a talented 2024 class. However, Matt Bowen of ESPN on Friday, April 5, named the Vikings as his “favorite team fit” for Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and added that they may be able to procure him without a costly move up the draft board.
The Vikings can set up McCarthy as a distributor in Kevin O’Connell’s defined passing game, using play-action concepts to put him in a position to throw with better timing and rhythm. McCarthy completed 76.3% of his play-action passes last season, putting up a Total QBR of 90.4. Those are outstanding numbers, and the fit works perfectly in Minnesota.
Plus, McCarthy has the second-reaction skills as a passer to make plays outside of structure when necessary. He can use his legs to create throwing windows. The Vikings added veteran Sam Darnold in free agency, but McCarthy could be their long-term starter.
Vikings Probably Need to Trade Up to Draft J.J. McCarthy
The recent public attraction the Patriots have to JJ McCarthy is nothing more than them driving the price of the #3 spot.
— Ben Leber (@nacholeber) April 2, 2024
Approximately a week and a half later, former Vikings linebacker and current KFAN analyst Ben Leber accused the Patriots of fabricating interest in McCarthy to manipulate the Vikings into offering more in a trade talks to move up to the No. 3 pick.
“The recent public attraction the Patriots have to JJ McCarthy is nothing more than them driving up the price of the #3 spot,” Leber posted to X.