Getty Quarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings landed themselves a champion in J.J. McCarthy, but he was far from the only quarterback who hoped to end up in Minneapolis on NFL draft night.
Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune reported on Friday, April 26 that McCarthy came to understand during the draft process that he wanted to end up in Minnesota. McCarthy added that the other top five quarterbacks in the first round (all within the first 12 picks) each came to the same conclusion.
“During the lead-up to the NFL draft, J.J. McCarthy became convinced that the Vikings — with Kevin O’Connell calling plays, 17-year NFL veteran Josh McCown overseeing quarterbacks and a cast of Pro Bowl offensive players populating the huddle — were the best spot for a rookie quarterback in 2024,” Goessling wrote. “After the Vikings drafted him 10th overall on Thursday night, McCarthy said the other five first-round quarterbacks all shared his opinion.”
McCarthy made the point publicly in his first media appearance as a member of the organization.
“First, the organization’s outstanding, and then you have the players and pieces that are around it and the coaches,” McCarthy said. “It was just a perfect fit for me. I talked with a lot of quarterbacks throughout this process, and it was the perfect fit for them, too. Obviously, it’s a huge honor, and I hope to just prove them right.”
Vikings Attempted to Trade Up With Patriots for QB Drake Maye
GettyQuarterback Drake Maye of the New England Patriots.
While the Vikings ultimately traded up for McCarthy, moving up one spot with the New York Jets at the cost of a fourth-rounder and a fifth-rounder (and also getting a sixth-rounder back in the deal), he doesn’t appear to have been the team’s first choice.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported on Friday that Minnesota made a substantial offer to the New England Patriots to trade into the No. 3 spot, which would have allowed the team to select Drake Maye of UNC, who has a previous relationship with McCown stretching back to his high school playing days.
“The Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants did make offers to the New England Patriots for the No. 3 pick to take Drake Maye,” Breer wrote. “Earlier this week, Minnesota offered the Nos. 11 and 23 picks, and its 2025 first-rounder, with pick swaps favoring the Vikings as part of the proposal; and that offer ticked up with New England on the clock.”
The Vikings ended up keeping both their 2025 first-round pick and the No. 23 overall selection on Thursday night, which they eventually traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars to move up six spots and draft edge rusher Dallas Turner out of Alabama. Minnesota gave up a fifth-round selection this year as well as a third- and fourth-rounder in 2025 to jump up for Turner, per Pro Football Talk.
J.J. McCarthy Respects Immense Talent on Vikings’ Roster, Plans to Take Full Advantage
GettyQuarterback J.J. McCarthy, formerly of the Michigan Wolverines.
It worked out that Minnesota landed first-round replacements for the two biggest losses of its offseason in QB Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons) and edge rusher Danielle Hunter (Houston Texans).
McCarthy now joins an offense replete with talent, including the likes of wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, tight end T.J. Hockenson and running back Aaron Jones — a huge advantage that is not lost on him.
“They have to know that you care and want to get better,” McCarthy explained. “So it’s getting around them, exhausting those relationships and making sure I almost bug them too much about wanting to get better and learn. That’s a lot of the regrets that former players have told me — they wish they spent more time with their coaches and used those resources to their utmost advantage. I plan on doing that.”