Breaking: Vikings Are Closing In On Deal To Sign Exciting QB Ahead of NFL Draft

With plans to move up in the next draft, the Minnesota Vikings are examining Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy in greater detail.

The Vikings are sending their quarterback coaches to Michigan’s pro day this week, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell will also attend a private workout with McCartney following the event.

Breer stated, “They also had plans for quarterbacks coaches Josh McCown and Grant Udinski to attend Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s pro day this Friday in Ann Arbor.” “Michigan also scheduled a private training session with O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah on campus for the following week.

By acquiring the No. 23 overall pick in a trade with the Houston Texans last week, the Vikings significantly increased their prospects of moving up into the top five slots in the draft. In return for No. 23 and a seventh-round pick (No. 232), the Vikings received their second-round pick (No. 42 overall), a sixth-round pick (No. 188), and a future second-round pick in 2025.

The Vikings’ ability to offer the No. 11 and No. 23 picks this year has more value than an offer that would include a future first-rounder, putting them in the driver’s seat among teams looking to trade up and land a quarterback in the top five.

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Outlines Plans With New 1st-Round Pick

This offseason has seemed particularly like the new administration’s first offseason at really overhauling the roster given the major roster changes made by the Vikings this offseason, which included parting ways with Kirk Cousins after six seasons.

In an interview with Paul Allen of KFAN on March 18, Adofo-Mensah discussed the choice to select the No. 23 overall pick and the range of options available to the Vikings going forward.

“We had the most flexibility after that transfer. As of right now, there is a preferred outcome, but Adofo-Mensah noted that “the process is ongoing, we’re still evaluating things at every position.” “At this time, there seems to be a better case scenario, but research is still being done.”

Devoid of a long-term solution, that “preferred scenario” is likely a trade-up to land a top-four quarterback in this year’s draft.

Adofo-Mensah, however, would not rule out Sam Darnold as a long-term option at the position, given that Darnold inked a one-year, $10 million contract for the 2017 season.

Adofo-Mensah remarked of Darnold, “I think all these terms like ‘bridge quarterback’ and ‘game manager’ have connotations that come with it.” “We enjoy Sam’s contributions to the squad. We saw Sam as a quarterback who could perform well for us at that position because when you consider the life cycle of a quarterback and when they reach their best, you also have to consider the context surrounding them. Which offensive line, which system, all those things matter.

J.J McCarthy Has Potential to Go as High as QB3

Although there are many smokescreens and contradicting reports during the pre-draft season, the overall consensus regarding McCarthy has been growing since the combine.

The latest: McCarthy, who was previously thought to be a second-round pick, might be the third quarterback selected, according to NFL Network’s chief draft analyst Lance Zierlein.

Zimmerlein posted on X (previously Twitter) that he “had a discussion with a position coach for a team who doesn’t need QB who couldn’t stop gushing about JJ McCarthy and his timing, vision, and intangibles.” “It really has a chance to be QB3—I’m telling you.”

McCarthy, a 20-year-old national champion, has the least experience of any top-end quarterback selected in this year’s selection, but he also possesses the most upside considering his age.

In Michigan, McCarthy was a part of a pro-style offense that frequently controlled the ground to the point where McCarthy wasn’t required to be the hero.

But as McCarthy keeps moving up the selection boards, Jim Harbaugh’s assessment of him—that of the finest quarterback in program history—has been consistent.