Former Executive Urges Vikings to Abandon Plan for Rookie 1st-Round Pick
The Minnesota Vikings have been methodical in their approach. Plans to address the quarterback position began last offseason and came together this offseason. They culminated in the selection of J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick.
McCarthy left the college ranks sporting an almost-pristine 27-1 record in his final two seasons, winning a National Champion to cap off his career at Michigan.
The Vikings plan to bring McCarthy along slowly, with Sam Darnold in place in the meantime.
But one former executive believes a different path is the best path forward for McCarthy and the Vikings.
“This is about all the rookies, but especially with J.J. McCarthy here,” NFL Network’s Mark Ross said on “Total Access” on May 6. “They traded to get it. You negotiate to get this guy, that means you need him. And the situation with JJ. What is this? He has to play and he has to shoot, right? “Then head coach Kevin O’Connell said, ‘JJ, you’ve got to come play.’” It wouldn’t feel good to sit on the bench until I shot the ball. We have to get you into the game. All you have to do is beat Sam Darnold. So go ahead and see what you can do and start building that skillset. To get good at something, you need to practice it. So “JJ” should start airing in Week 1 to clear up any doubts about the Minnesota Vikings and say, “Yes, I can do this.”
What’s interesting is that here J.J. McCarthy throws an ice pick 25 yards over a frozen rope, defeating a sinking CB who was trying to block the throw for an INT.
Ross spent 11 years with the New York Giants, including serving as vice president of player evaluation and appearing in two Super Bowls in 2007 and 2011.
He highlighted McCarthy’s meager efforts to pass the university exam. The Vikings are going to be patient with JJ McCarthy.
McCarthy’s 22.1 attempts per game were the fewest of any top quarterback prospect in his class. Conversely, the Vikings ranked eighth in passing yards per game despite losing starter Kirk Cousins in Week 8.
“We’re not going to rush his development,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said on April 26, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported. “We just do what’s best for the Vikings in the short and long term.”
Much of Adofo-Mensah’s confidence comes from his trust in O’Connell, who he admitted had ruled out previous potential quarterback options.
Mr O’Connell is also open to developing his relationship with Adofo-Mensah. “We talked about these things,” Adofo-Mensah said, according to Seifert. “When you look at history and say, ‘Those defenders missed the goal,’ you often find that there were a lot of dirty moves in that regard. And we’re going to keep our hands clean and give him the best opportunity to be the best player in this offense.
Sam Darnold stuck after 2024 draft
Darnold will be selected as a free agent with the knowledge that the Vikings could select a quarterback in the 2024 draft, albeit unlikely, given the institutional knowledge of the O’Connell project they acquired from San Francisco. He signed a one-year contract worth $1 million. The 49ers could help him. However, Darnold is also 21-35 as a starter, completing 59.7% of his passes with 63 touchdowns and 56 interceptions during his career.
He may need to excel in action during training camp rather than just hanging on.
