DONE DEAL: The top-ranked veteran quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars has officially confirmed his move to the Minnesota Vikings on a five-year, $285 million contract.

Why the Minnesota Vikings should trade up for quarterback J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings have positioned themselves to trade up for a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. Amid ongoing debate over which signal-caller Minnesota will take, we’re making the case for the Vikings to draft quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Caleb Williams is obviously not an option as Minnesota will be facing the Chicago Bears quarterback twice a year. So, the choice comes down to McCarthy, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels. In the first part of our analysis series, I’m making the case for the Michigan Wolverines quarterback.

Related: 2024 NFL Draft prospect rankings

Let’s dive into our argument.

Trading up for J.J. McCarthy

The Washington Commanders are still open to trading the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but no team has come close to meeting the team’s asking price. While Minnesota could theoretically put together a strong enough package, the likely outcome is Washington taking its highest-rated quarterback. So, a deal can instead be made with the New England Patriots.

• New England Patriots receive: 11th overall pick, 23rd overall pick, 129th overall pick, 2025 4th
• Minnesota Vikings receive: 3rd overall pick

Obviously, this deal leaves Minnesota with just three picks in the top 150 selections and it would only have first-, third- and fifth-round picks in 2025. However, the benefit of having a quarterback on a rookie-scale contract is the ability to use that cap space on free agents. As a result, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can still add talent on both sides of the ball for the next four years.

Also Read: Minnesota Twins game today, Twins schedule 2024

Now with a potential trade package established, we can dive into the similarities between McCarthy and Kirk Cousins before examining the overall fit in Kevin O’Connell’s system.

Comparing Kirk Cousins and J.J. McCarthy

There’s a reason the common J.J. McCarthy NFL comparison has been to Kirk Cousins since 2023. Like with the former Vikings’ quarterback, McCarthy doesn’t have elite arm strength nor is there a premium physical tool that would be a so-called trump card over his peers. In fact, McCarthy’s average arm strength can be first compared to Cousins in terms of their effectiveness and frequency of throwing deep.