Vikings' first round draft grades
I started doing a round up and found that the SI Vikings' site had most of them. Grades are all over the place. I think JJ ended up in a good situation and will surprise people with the Vikings.
Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic: A
He may need to learn behind Sam Darnold for a minute, but I love his long-term fit with coach Kevin O’Connell and think he could be more ready than some believe.
Brent Sobleski, Bleacher Report: A
Kudos, Minnesota Vikings. They didn't bite on all the rumor-mongering about McCarthy going much higher in the draft. Instead of moving their extra first-round pick to trade up into the top five, the Vikings flipped fourth- and fifth-round picks to move up one spot, while getting a sixth-rounder back.
Joseph Acosta, SB Nation: A-
The Vikings didn’t have to move heaven and Earth to trade up, and eventually got the guy that would fit their offense. I think McCarthy is a ways away from being a starter, but he doesn’t have to start right away with Sam Darnold playing. McCarthy is a confident passer off play action and a good enough athlete to make the O’Connell offense work in the long term. Good fit for Minnesota and McCarthy.
A- (includes Dallas Turner)
Analysis: The Vikings moved up one spot to grab McCarthy, presumably to box out Denver and Las Vegas. He did not throw 40 times per game in Michigan's run-heavy offense, but he has plenty of arm, excellent mobility and accuracy throwing to either side of the field. He can surprise with his open-field speed, and his ability to win games at the high school and collegiate level carries weight with NFL teams. While not a physical specimen, he is similarly built to C.J. Stroud and other quarterbacks recently drafted with top-10 picks. The Vikings made a pre-draft trade with the Texans to get a second first-round selection (23rd overall) and then moved up from that spot to nab Turner. His 4.46 40 turned heads at the combine, but he still fell, thanks to the rush for quarterbacks and likely also because of his average size for the position (6-2 3/4-inch, 247 pounds). He uses that low center of gravity and 34 3/8-inch arms to separate from blockers playing the run and long-arm them into the quarterback in pass-rush mode. He's a very good value at 17, even though today's trade ate away at the team's mid-round capital, both this year and next. This draft is lean at edge rusher, and the Vikings decided to take a risk.
Rang: A dominant defense and run-heavy offense provided McCarthy limited opportunities to pad his stats, but when he was called upon to make important throws, he showed zip, accuracy, mobility and mettle. He does not possess the howitzer of some of the other quarterbacks of this class. However, leadership and charisma matter at quarterback, and McCarthy has perhaps the best combination of that in this year's class. Few would recognize that more than a former quarterback — like Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
Grade: B+
The Vikings' patience pays off, as they make a much smaller (and far cheaper) move up the board to land their new franchise quarterback. McCarthy is largely unproven as a passer after playing in Michigan's run-heavy offense, but he's got tons of potential, and his skill set is a perfect fit for Kevin O'Connell's offense. This looks much better than moving up into the top five for the same player.
GRADE: B+
Charles McDonald, Yahoo! Sports: B+
Getting the quarterback without having to move up too far in the draft is a solid result for the Vikings. It may not be the quarterback they originally wanted, but it's still a solid prospect to build around and he's walking into a great situation.
Grade: B-
Minnesota didn't have to give up a bounty to secure its quarterback. That's a significant victory given the tough spot this franchise is in as it tries to reset while simultaneously competing. Still, it's fair to feel underwhelmed with McCarthy as the successor to Kirk Cousins. Not only is the signal-caller somewhat of a mystery box after his time at Michigan, he's also not the drastic stylistic shift from Cousins that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah seemed intrigued by and that the team could have gotten from, say, Drake Maye. The setup for McCarthy is quite promising, though, as Kevin O'Connell can help him play efficiently early in his career with tons of play action and intermediate throws. And it doesn't hurt to have Justin Jefferson to bail him out.
Matt Verderame, SI.com: B-
During his time in Ann Arbor, McCarthy never threw for 3,000 yards in either one of his starting campaigns. The question is how much he can develop at the pro level.
Grade: B-
Minnesota didn't have to give up a bounty to secure its quarterback. That's a significant victory given the tough spot this franchise is in as it tries to reset while simultaneously competing. Still, it's fair to feel underwhelmed with McCarthy as the successor to Kirk Cousins. Not only is the signal-caller somewhat of a mystery box after his time at Michigan, he's also not the drastic stylistic shift from Cousins that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah seemed intrigued by and that the team could have gotten from, say, Drake Maye. The setup for McCarthy is quite promising, though, as Kevin O'Connell can help him play efficiently early in his career with tons of play action and intermediate throws. And it doesn't hurt to have Justin Jefferson to bail him out.
While we understand the Vikings needed a quarterback and felt like they had to trade up get them, we don’t have J.J. McCarthy graded high enough to warrant this type of a move and pick.
Grade: C
Grade: C+
They had to fill the quarterback spot, so it makes sense to take McCarthy. I don't love him as much as others do, but it will be interesting to see how Kevin O'Connell and company will make it work.
Touchdown Wire (USA Today)
Minnesota Vikings select Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick. Grade: D
J.J. McCarthy is a good quarterback. If you trade up into the top 10 of a draft to get a good quarterback, as opposed to a field-tilting quarterback, you had better hope everything goes well around him. Head coach Kevin O’Connell has the playbook and the weapons to make the most of McCarthy, but the low ceiling shows up all over his tape. This seems like a misunderstanding of his NFL potential, and that’s why the grade is so low.
I agree about Williams. As for Rattler, he's someone who I'd love my team taking in the fifth round.
Is this the same guy who stayed on the field and watched the winning teams celebrate at each seasons end and then last year strode to the podium and after crushing defeat guaranteed they'd be back. That guy?
Probably lacks motivation and drive like his college coach. Needs to learn to be more weird.
Does SI.com even exist anymore?
I’m just wondering one thing about McCarthy - did Michigan pull him in the second half of games because he was tired? I mean - JJ was exhausted and couldn’t throw anymore?
It seems to me that YPA or YPC are good data points.
And.. how many QBs in this draft can throw with greater velocity than JJ? This is in reference to Fox’s howitzer - or lack thereof - remark.
JJ is in a great place. And - just for fun - watching Bear - Viking games will be extra entertaining.
"And.. how many QBs in this draft can throw with greater velocity than JJ? "
Penix, Maye, and Williams have stronger arms than JJ.
JJ can make all the NFL throws with no issue though. The only QB drafted that I feel can't is Nix. There are several NFL throws he just can't make.
That's questionable at best. We can't know for sure since they didn't all throw at the combine, but JJ hit 61 MPH, just 1 MPH less than Joe Milton, and is one of only a handful of QB's to throw 60 MPH or faster.
So if Penix, Maye, and Williams all have stronger arms than JJ, that means either they also have stronger arms than Milton which....nah, or they are somewhere between JJ and Milton which is a negligible difference.
April 26th, 2024 at 12:50 PM ^
No - it means that "velocity" as measured at the combine has almost nothing to do with actual functional throwing strength.
Unless you think Bo Nix has a significantly stronger arm then Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes.
Selfishly for the Lions I want Mike, Braiden, Zak, Trevor, Trente and Turner. Zak, I hope, will be gone but the others we may have later round shots at. Character matters. Team, not me, guys.
So… you’re apparently “anti-Blake”…. Just kidding.
I can see the Chargers picking up UDFA’s that are comfortable wearing darker shades of blue and yellow.
I only mentioned my opinion of areas of need matches. RB not one of them. Harbaugh is drafting Blake 3rd round at the latest. Or John will. His soft spoken killer attitude sticks with me especially as you saw his perfectly timed td celebration actions. The corn roll at Neb, PSU Manny mocking, Buckeye Zak tribute and Alabama curled lip snarl look were enlightening. The "Business is finished" quip carried a status his quiet demeanor didn't convey and showed to me the Mike-esque level team respect.
I agree completely. Blake is one of several excellent examples of responsible young men on Teams 142, 143, and 144. My son is at Michigan - a year younger than Blake - and all I can think is - what a great role model.
It seems to me that every team that drafts a Michigan player will be pleased with their selection.
Go Blue!
You sure...they were coached by that weird cheater or so I heard. People showing their red ass. They let their actions speak so loudly I can't hear what they are saying. Ironical.
April 26th, 2024 at 10:35 AM ^
That “weird guy”… it’s so refreshing to see video of him and members of the team - informally - and how he engaged with them.
There was a great take on Michigan’s Pro-Day.. Harbaugh was there and players just came up to him - huge hugs - his genuineness was apparent - as was the way the players felt about him.
Faith.. Family.. Football…. The trifecta.
April 26th, 2024 at 10:37 AM ^
Strange that wholesome is out of favor to the annointed isn't it?
This is a good spot for JJ, unfortunately.
^^BEARS fans second this ^^
Vikings should get the inverse grade that is assigned to the Falcons. What the hell are they doing?
I am still stunned by that pick. Not a Falconss fan but I live outside Atlanta. I’ve been to a few games over the years, no way I’m buying tickets to see Cousin Penix.
I get it now. People in the South are really into seeing Cousins Penix.
We've always known this really.
The guys who drafted Penix won't be there at the end or this year or next. Yeah the Raiders might have taken him at 13, but Atlanta has a $180 million dollar QB. Kirk Cousins has to be the luckiest guy alive. He's a good but not great QB and just keeps getting paid.
Yeah. The Penix pick was bad (a huge reach to take him in the top 10), but in the abstract it's at least defensible. But you can't view it in the abstract, because like you said they just signed Cousins to that $180M deal. I thought that was a huge mistake at the time (they're paying "win-now" money for a QB that hasn't proven he can take a team to the mountaintop), and then they throw away the chance to at least give him some support by drafting another QB. Just baffling...
Once again I’m obliged to feel bad for Michael Penix Jr.
There’s been nothing but hate coming out of Cousins’ camp about this pick. “Blindsided”, “cheating”, “undermining”. He’s acting personally betrayed.
Kirk Cousins is a 35 year old veteran who was CLEARLY signed to lead the team and teach the young guys …and he’s acting like a petulant child for…not being the only QB on the roster???
$1 says that Penix gets the silent treatment, and absolutely no mentoring, from Cousins.
Cousins is definitely being childish. He can weep right into his dollar bills.
But that said, you don’t draft a QB top 10, let alone an old rookie that’s a bit of a reach, if you’re confident in the guy you have now (and I think the Falcons definitely sold him on “you’re our guy now” with both words and cash). Might be totally different if, say, they grabbed a Spencer Rattler who falls into the 3rd round. That’s “we see potential upside in a backup” territory.
So I don’t think he’s wrong that his new bosses have changed the tune without warning him.
April 26th, 2024 at 10:08 AM ^
Kirk Cousins is a 35 year old veteran who was CLEARLY signed to lead the team and teach the young guys …and he’s acting like a petulant child for…not being the only QB on the roster???
I think you're letting your anti-msu bias get the best of you. By all reports, he was surprised at the pick b/c it does nothing to help the team win now, particularly in a significant area of need on the DL. Rather, the Falcons' explanation is that they expect to win going forward and won't have an opportunity to draft their QB of the future in 2-3 years, so they drafted him now.
I think the move was stupid too and I'd be particularly baffled if I were in Cousins' position, also. No idea what kind of message they're sending to the guy they just signed for a guaranteed $100M to lead the team.
April 26th, 2024 at 10:32 AM ^
I’m not defending the pick, it was a terrible decision by the Falcons, and I completely agree with Cousins that there were instant contributors available instead of a massive overreach in Penix.
But dude, maybe he could cool it with the pettiness, or at least the public insults. Penix isn’t responsible for the Falcons making this bonkers decision, and now he gets to walk into a fractured locker room with a starting QB who resents him.
April 26th, 2024 at 10:57 AM ^
It was a terrible decision any way you look at it. But Kork Coupons should just keep his mouth shut. The guy is nothing more than an NFL journeyman QB that will lead his team to an 8-8 record by neither leading his team, winning a game he shouldn't win, or losing a game he shouldn't lose. He should be happy as a pig rolling in slop at the very thought that he's guaranteed $90M just before retirement time.
Fuck that guy...
But dude, maybe he could cool it with the pettiness, or at least the public insults.
Maybe you're reading some news stories that I'm not reading, but the only comments that I've seen being released by his agents indicates that he was "stunned" and "shocked" at the pick. Not exactly what I would call "pettiness" and "public insults."
If you have a source on the pettiness, I'd genuinely be interested in seeing it b/c google turns up bupkis for me.
April 26th, 2024 at 11:17 AM ^
That's a fair point. Part of me is like, "dude just got massively overpaid ($100M guaranteed, $180M total for a 35 year old Cousins?!?) so stop whining." But on the flipside, just because the Falcon have an interest in the long-term success of the team doesn't mean Cousins has to. Beyond the paycheck, Cousins' interest is in winning now; why should he be ok with wasting a top 10 pick on a potential QB for after he's gone when it could have instead been used on a player that could help his teams win...
But he is a good Christian boy - aren't you aware of his public persona?
Man that last dude is a HATER. LOL at JJ having a low ceiling. What a ridiculous take.
If you trade up into the top 10 of a draft to get a good quarterback, as opposed to a field-tilting quarterback,...
He's not just mad, he's disingenuous, too. They moved up one spot and gave up just a 4th and 5th. They didn't mortgage their future on him.
It took balls of steel to wait and wait and draft McCarthy at 10, especially after the bonkers pick of Penix even earlier!
I’m not even a Vikings fan, but that was impressive draft management
Yeah, it’s rumored that they tried to get the Chargers to trade Herbert, and may have wanted to trade high enough to get Drake Maye, but when those fell through, they got who they wanted without having to panic.
Vikings not having to give up the farm is impressive but the Lions getting the best corner at 24 is insane and a savvy move up to do so.
The NFC Central greatly improved after round 1.
Lions gave up a lot to move up. Every trade value chart said that it was more appropriate to give up a mid to late 4th.
That said if Arnold is an All Pro no one will care. And we don't know if he is the best corner, the guy from Toledo was taken 2 picks in front of him. And some guy in the 3rd may turn out to be the best in 2 years.
I tend to think the best guys out there to evaluate an NFL quarterback are current and former NFL quarterbacks.
And there are at least three I know of (Harbaugh, Klatt and O’Connell) who believe in JJ.
Yea, I just don't pay attention to sports media anymore unless it's watch a game. It's as bad as cable news. Just idiots looking to fill airtime or space on the internet to justify their existence. I'm not say JJ is going to be the next Brady or even a 10-15 year starter in the league like Harbaugh was, but to give him the Vikings anything lower than a B is absurd in my opinion. I wish JJ was more showcased, but his physical and mental tools are undeniably there. He's not a reach at 10 or anywhere in the first round.
JJ overflowing with excitement.
https://x.com/Vikings/status/1783726449251221522
April 26th, 2024 at 10:14 AM ^
I watched Harbaugh’s press conference about the Chargers’ pick. At the end, someone asked him about JJ. Jim said Minnesota was where JJ wanted to go. I suppose it’s close to home for him and he wasn’t going to the Bears at 1, so Minnesota is not a bad second choice. And the Bears suck.
Offensive minded coach, best WR in the NFL, adequate OL, have a veteran to take the beatings in year 1 ahead of him but not a veteran who is going to be around long to compete against etc. A lot better situation than the others although Chicago has a chance to make a big jump if they hit on their picks.
JJ has won at every team he has played on and the same will be true with the NFL team(s) he plays on whether that be only Minnesota or somewhere else. We know he is a gamer and soon the world will see it as well.
Downgrading McCarthy for not having a "howitzer for an arm" is just a stupid take. McCarthy has more than strong enough of an arm to be highly successful in the NFL. Accuracy, intelligence, ability to read defenses, and adjust during plays are FAR more important attributes for success as an NFL QB.
Second fastest ball speed at the combine, only got pipped by Joe “carpet bomb” Milton.
April 26th, 2024 at 10:42 AM ^
Yeah.. but look at how much faster & stronger Milton threw it than how JJ did.
I think Milton threw at 62 mph.. and JJ was a distant second at 61 mph.
Oh.. I see you point.. And, the Out Route is a key measure for an NFL QB - velocity, accuracy, and timing - you need all three or the result could be a pick six. IIRC, there was a fourth and short against O$U - a quick out to the TE (maybe Loveland)… it might have gone for three yards - but, it resulted in a first down.
I don’t know the future - but, it does seem like the Vikings got a steal of a pick.
Wishing JJ and every Wolverine - nothing but good things during this draft…
Right. Name a throw and you’ll find it in JJ’s tape. “Volume of attempts” is the onLay reasonable knock on him, and it’s a weak one.
Lets all pray he doesn't learn much from Sam Darnold
What the heck is the “low ceiling shows up all over his tape” dude smoking?
The “hasn’t played a ton and hasn’t had to throw a lot when he did” is an overblown argument, but it’s at least more or less true. But “low ceiling” is just bonkers.
April 26th, 2024 at 10:45 AM ^
^^^^^ Exactly.
JJ has been leading an NFL based offense (that maybe a bit more run oriented than average) - under an NFL head coach - with reads / adjustments to a strong / NFL based OL - and only has a 27-1 record over the past two seasons as a starter.
Maybe it’s his attitude - you know.. JJ is about the Team winning and not his individual stat line. So, I guess in that category - JJ might have a much lower expectation than many others.
So much lazy analysis at the bottom of that list. You can 100% tell who is doing their assessments by looking at box scores.
SF took wr Pearsall from Florida. Never heard of him