The Minnesota Vikings clearly to have designs on dealing up for a quarterback in next month’s NFL draft, but there are teams who can disrupt their path.
Two such organizations are the New York Giants, who select at No. 6, and the Washington Commanders, who own the rights to the second overall pick. The precise player(s) Minnesota is targeting is not public knowledge, though given their current draft position (No. 11 overall) and potential trade partners, former Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is a likely bet for the Vikings.
The Giants recently met with McCarthy, while the Commanders intend to do the same later this week, per Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report.
Sources to @BleacherReport: Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy visited the #Giants last week, which included dinner with the front office and a tour of the facility.
The #Commanders are flying out to Ann Arbor to have dinner Thursday night with McCarthy the night before his Pro Day, per… pic.twitter.com/7PJv4Z4x2z
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 19, 2024
“Sources to @BleacherReport: Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy visited the #Giants last week, which included dinner with the front office and a tour of the facility,” Schultz posted to X on Tuesday, March 19. “The #Commanders are flying out to Ann Arbor to have dinner Thursday night with McCarthy the night before his Pro Day, per multiple sources.”
Commanders’ Interest in J.J. McCarthy Opens Up Interesting Possibilities for Vikings
The Commanders’ visit with McCarthy is a less concerning development than the Giants’ apparent interest for multiple reasons.
Washington is almost certain to take a quarterback at No. 2 regardless, given the team’s decisions to trade 2023 starter Sam Howell to the Seattle Seahawks, let Jacoby Brissett leave for what appears to be a bridge starting gig with the New England Patriots in 2024 and sign Marcus Mariota as a likely backup to a rookie QB next season.
As such, the Commanders choosing to draft McCarthy second would merely drop either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye out of the top three, making one of those players potentially available to Minnesota should the team trade up into the top five for a quarterback.
It is possible that either Daniels, Maye or both are higher on the Vikings’ draft board than is McCarthy, while both are likely viewed as similarly strong prospects. As such, losing out on McCarthy for one of those players could be more or less a lateral move for Minnesota, if not something better.
Vikings Could End Up NFL Draft Losers if Giants Trade Up With Cardinals, Draft QB
New York is a different story.
The Giants select sixth, while the Vikings pick 11th. Minnesota made a deal to acquire the Houston Texans‘ 23rd selection in this year’s draft, and most analysts expect the Vikings to package those two picks (Nos. 11 and 23) — as well as possibly a future first-rounder — to trade up. The Los Angeles Chargers are the most likely trade partner at pick No. 5, while the Arizona Cardinals are also a possibility at fourth overall.
The Cardinals have a real need at wide receiver and can draft Marvin Harrison Jr. fourth, who projects as a potentially generational talent. The Cardinals may not be willing to move down seven spots with the Vikings. However, they could be amenable to trading back two spots with the Giants for huge future draft value.
Not only would a move from the Giants into the No. 4 spot take McCarthy out of play for the Vikings, it would also mean that the top four QB prospects would be off the board before Minnesota gets a chance to select at No. 5.
That development would undermine the Vikings’ trade last week with the Texans to acquire a second first-round pick in this year’s draft, while also leaving Minnesota with the difficult choice of either trading huge value to move up and select a player like Bo Nix, who probably isn’t worth that play from a value standpoint, or passing on a first-round QB altogether.
