Getty Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings.
If the Minnesota Vikings cannot trade up to land one of the top-three quarterbacks in this year’s draft, a reasonable plan would be to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy to replace Kirk Cousins if the veteran leaves in free agency.
Some draft boards indicate the Vikings could stay at No. 11 or even trade back, accumulate more draft capital, and land McCarthy somewhere in the mid-20s.
However, that scenario may be forgone.
CBS Sports draft analyst Chris Trapasso, currently at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, broached the topic of McCarthy’s fit with the Vikings among sources, which was met with some skepticism.
“We’ve talked about him as potential Option B or C for the Vikings to stay put, pick him at No. 11,” Trapasso said on the “Purple Insider” podcast, adding that all three sources he spoke to spoke “confidently” that McCarthy “may not even be there by No. 11.
“Right now, The NFL likes J.J. McCarthy more than the media in general.”
The Vikings have met with four quarterbacks at the combine with the prospects that Cousins could land elsewhere.
J.J. McCarthy Predicted to Land With Giants at No. 6 Overall
GettyMichigan QB J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy, who led Michigan to an undefeated season and a national championship, has climbed draft the past few months. He has landed with the Vikings more than any other team in Pro Football Focus mock drafts.
However, if the top three quarterbacks are all taken inside the top five, Trapasso has heard that McCarthy is poised to be selected as high as No. 6 overall by the New York Giants.
While McCarthy, who just turned 21 in January, is considered an unfinished product that benefited from a vaunted Wolverines rushing game, Trapasso said he believes many NFL scouts and coaches relish the idea of developing a quarterback — especially one as young and successful as McCarthy, who ran a pro-style offense in Michigan.
J.J. McCarthy’s Climb Could Lead to Draye Maye Falling to Vikings
GettyDrake Maye and the North Carolina Tar Heels take on South Carolina in their season opener.
Considering McCarthy’s climb, there’s the potential for four quarterbacks to not only go inside the top 10 but inside the top six, which would be a rare occurrence.
Another possibility is that one of the top three — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels — may fall.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein said pre-combine that Maye could be the one.
“I talked to an NFL guy who thinks that Maye could be a guy who falls in this draft,” Zierlein said on the “Move the Sticks” podcast during the Senior Bowl. “He compared him to [Will] Levis. I don’t think that’s gonna happen, but this is a guy who I think is a pretty good evaluator.”
Trapasso said that sentiment was echoed in Indianapolis.
“To hear it from a lot of people that [Maye falling] could be the case, the window is open a little bit,” Trapasso said. “That’s the dream scenario: Drake Maye, you don’t have to do anything. You just pick him at No. 11.
Maye has been deemed the ideal fit for Kevin O’Connell‘s offense due to his arm talent, athleticism and willingness to throw the ball into tight windows.