Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Earns Brutal Assessment From Former NFL Star

With the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy. He was the fourth quarterback selected in the top 10 and one of five that went in the top 12.

The Vikings were desperate to find a quarterback after Kirk Cousins departed in free agency. He signed a lucrative multi-year deal, and they started to fill that void by signing Sam Darnold in free agency.

For the start of camp, Darnold is considered the starting quarterback for the team. It will be a competition to keep an eye on, as JJ McCarthy will eventually get his shot to lead the starting offense.

However, the team knows that he will need a little bit of development before being ready for such a role. How long that development will take is anyone’s guess.

Alas, some analysts don’t believe that he will ever reach an elite level. One of those analysts is former star wide receiver, Plaxico Burress.

During a recent segment on The Carton Show, JJ McCarthy was the topic of conversation. His statistics from Michigan were shown and Burress made a bold claim about his future in the NFL based on them.

“That is not elite at any level,” Burress said about the collegiate production of the Vikings’ first-round pick.

In three seasons with the Wolverines, JJ McCarthy reached the 300-yard plateau in a game only three times. He never threw for at least 3,000 yards in a single season.

Last season, he was sacked only 19 times in 15 games. In the College Football Playoff National Title Game against Washington, he completed only 10 passes.

Some of that was certainly a product of the offense Jim Harbaugh was running. It was a run-heavy scheme, as Michigan relied on its defense and ground game to wear out opponents and carry the team to victory.

Alas, it is easy to see why some people would be concerned about how things will translate in the NFL. His experience in a pro system at Michigan will make the transition an easier one, but he will have to do a lot more to help the Vikings win games than he was doing with the Wolverines.

Some will argue that even the Vikings have their concerns about JJ McCarthy. It was recently revealed that he was, at best, No. 3 on their quarterback big board entering the 2024 NFL Draft.

Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here .

Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network .

The post Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Earns Brutal Assessment From Former NFL Star appeared first on NFL Analysis Network .