One of the biggest questions coming into this week’s NFL draft is if the Minnesota Vikings are going to be able to get their quarterback of the future, and just how much they’re going to have to give up to do so. But what if the Vikings don’t have to give up anything and can still land a potential franchise QB?
That’s the scenario that played out in the latest mock draft from The 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov. Meirov has the Vikings standing pat at the 11th spot and still landing former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Here’s Meirov’s analysis of the selection and McCarthy’s fit in Minnesota:
A trade-up could likely be required for the Minnesota Vikings to get a quarterback in this draft, but I don’t think they will have to go all the way to No. 4 with Arizona the way most people think, especially if it’s for J.J. McCarthy. Assuming it can’t get Maye, Minnesota could be more patient and let the draft come to them; trading up to No. 7 or 8 would make more sense.
McCarthy is the most polarizing quarterback of the top four. Still, he would walk into easily the best position of anyone: Minnesota has the play-caller in Kevin O’Connell, the playmakers with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones, and the protection with bookend tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill.
With the Vikings not trading up for a quarterback, they’re able to keep their second first-round pick and can bolster the team even further. In this mock, they’re able to beef up their defensive line with the 23rd pick, taking former Illinois defensive tackle Johnny (Jer’Zhan) Newton.
The Minnesota Vikings could very well not even have this pick if they trade up, which many people think is likely. Jer’Zhan Newton had more than 100 pressures over the past two seasons, and some people rate him as the draft’s top interior defensive lineman.
The First-Team All-American had surgery in January to repair a fracture in his foot and did not do any workouts during the pre-draft process.
This draft would be just about a dream scenario for the Vikings. They’d be able to land a quarterback they’re heavily rumored to be in on, and would get to keep their draft assets to land a player who most draft analysts have as the top interior defensive lineman available.
