Thanks to the first day of 2024 NFL free agency — check out our grades of every Day 1 move, plus a look at the winners and losers! — the draft is coming more into focus.
We now know which franchises need quarterbacks (seems like the Atlanta Falcons are OK on that position for now!), and even though the Minnesota Vikings signed Sam Darnold, they need a QB of the future.
In the latest NFL mock draft from our Christian D’Andrea, he has the Vikes taking Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy at No. 11. That fits in with what Michael Middlehurts-Schwartz wrote for the latest USA TODAY Sports mock — he has the Vikings actually trading up to No. 5 to grab him.
Here’s what he wrote:
Would Minnesota be content to trade to this spot knowing it might have to settle for its fourth choice to replace Kirk Cousins? Maybe a move wouldn’t be reasonable until draft day, when general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Co. could see how the top few picks panned out. But going with Sam Darnold as a bridge option to start off 2024 while sitting and developing McCarthy seems like a relatively sound strategy for an organization that suddenly has had change behind center thrust upon it.
Be sure to check out the latest post-combine NFL mock draft from Christian D’Andrea, plus the updated first-round order for April’s draft.
