Yet another NFL draft analyst is projecting the Vikings trading up and taking Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy in next week’s draft.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler released his latest mock draft Wednesday and has the Vikings trading their two first-round picks this year and a 2025 third-round pick in order to move up to No. 4 to take McCarthy.
“It is no secret that the Vikings are quarterback shopping in the NFL draft, but how high can they trade up to secure their guy? In this scenario, Minnesota jumps to No. 4 for McCarthy, which would mark the first time in NFL draft history we see quarterbacks drafted 1-2-3-4 overall,” Brugler wrote of the Vikings’ selection.
It’s the second straight mock draft that Brugler has the Vikings taking McCarthy, previously having Minnesota trading up to No. 7 and selecting the 21-year-old.
The continued selection and even higher pick location shows the growing belief among draft analysts that McCarthy — once thought to be a late first, early second-round pick — will be taken in the top 10 of this year’s draft, and that the Vikings will be the team to do it.
“Though McCarthy needs to add more bulk to his frame, he is a good-sized athlete who can operate from the pocket with balance, negotiate pressure and create plays with his mobility when needed,” Brugler wrote about McCarthy in his annual The Beast Draft Guide.
“Overall, McCarthy’s evaluation feels incomplete, which creates even more projection than normal, but his passing skills, pocket athleticism and mental makeup are all ascending and create optimism for his NFL future,” Brugler continued. “Although bumps along the way should be expected, he has the package of tools to become an NFL starter early in his career.”
Brugler’s latest mock was a seven-round mock, here are the rest of his Vikings picks:
- #108 – DeWayne Carter DT Duke
- #129 – Mason McCormick G South Dakota State
- #157 – Qwan’tez Stiggers CB from the CFL
- #167 – Eric Watts Edge UConn
- #177 – Anias Smith WR Texas A&M
- #230 – Tyrice Knight LB UTEP
- #232 – Dylan McMahon C NC State
