Vikings trade up for Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy at tenth overall

What It Means

The Vikings traded up one pick with the New York Jets, ensuring they could draft their new quarterback of the future: J.J. McCarthy.

McCarthy led the Michigan Wolverines to the college football playoffs in back-to-back years and helped them win the whole thing in 2023. Now, he'll take his winning ways to the NFL.

While he was not asked to be a prolific passer at Michigan, he executed his team's offense with impressive consistency. He finished his collegiate career with just 713 total passing attempts, but converted those chances into 49 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions while averaging an efficient 9.3 adjusted yards per attempt.

McCarthy will be tasked with replacing Kirk Cousins for a Vikings team with playoff aspirations. Fortunately, he'll have a stacked receiving room of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson to help him adjust to the NFL.