The Minnesota Vikings selected University of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday night, but the Vikings don’t appear in any rush to start him.
When asked about the team’s plans for McCarthy heading into 2024, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah played it coy.
“We’re not going to rush his development,” Adofo-Mensah said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN. “We’re just going to do what’s best for the Vikings in the short and long term.”
Minnesota lost Kirk Cousins to free agency, but it signed Sam Darnold, who has plenty of experience as a starter on the NFL level. As a matter of fact, the New York Jets took Darnold with the third overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
However, Darnold is nothing more than a bridge starter, so if he does open up Week 1 under center for the Vikings, it would only be until the club feels McCarthy is ready.
Minnesota traded up one spot just to grab McCarthy.
The 21-year-old is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he led Michigan to a national championship and threw for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 72.3 percent of his passes. He also rushed for 202 yards and three scores.
McCarthy is probably the most polarizing player in this year’s draft class. While some have praised him for his intangibles, others have expressed concern over his physical limitations heading into the NFL.
The Vikings had Cousins under center for the last six years, so we’ll see if McCarthy is able to fill those shoes. Whether that opportunity comes in the season opener, midway through 2024 or possibly even in J.J. McCarthy’s sophomore campaign remains to be seen.
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