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Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy hasn't played a single game in the NFL, but he still compares favorably to the next QB in the league, according to The Athletic's. Jeff Howe.
“McCarthy would be the No. 1 quarterback if he were in the class of 2025, according to several officials and coaches who have evaluated Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders,” Howe said Tuesday.
Details like that can be calculated in one of two ways.
Opinions around the NFL continue to be high on McCarthy, who has been sidelined all year with a torn meniscus. Maybe it's not a bad idea to let Sam Darnold walk, even if he's performing at a Pro Bowl level, and see what you have with the 2024 starter.
Minnesota could go the other way and make Darnold their long answer at quarterback. Howe wrote how the Vikings “would have had a market if they decided to move McCarthy.”
It's not a good sign when a starting quarterback is traded early in his career. But most of the time this is due to the player struggling on the field and failing to live up to expectations. With McCarthy, the odds are still there because we haven't seen him in action outside of the preseason.
There is no sure-fire no-miss quarterback prospect in the 2025 draft. Ward is the top prospect at the position and is ranked No. 6 on Bleacher Report's list. new main boardwhile Sanders is second and comes in at number 16 overall. Georgia's Carson Beck (No. 37) and Alabama's Jalen Milroe (No. 42) are the only other QBs in the top 50.
Ward and Sanders are going up a notch in terms of quarterback value. Many teams in the Top 10 by preparation they will need to add a QB in another way this season, too.
For general managers who have their first round pick, convincing the Vikings to part with McCarthy may be a smarter play than reaching for the best player on the roster.
