As they gear up for their most pivotal draft in recent Minnesota Vikings memory, NFL insiders around the globe are trying to figure out what GM Kwesi Adofo Mensah and Head Coach Kevin O’Connell are planning on April 25. All of that, however, is merely speculation.
On Monday, though, we did receive some concrete, non-speculative information about the Vikings’ plans for their quarterback in the lead-up to the draft. The Vikings have scheduled a private workout with Michigan Wolverines quarterback JJ McCarthy for this Friday in Ann Arbor, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. O’Connell and Kwesi will both be there.
Minnesota also moved forward at quarterback, first on a one-year, $10 million deal with Darnold, then on a trade with the Houston Texans (talks on it started before free agency) that’d give the Vikings a second first-round pick, arming them for a potential trade up. They also had plans in motion for quarterbacks coaches Josh McCown and Grant Udinski to be in Ann Arbor for Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy’s pro day this Friday. Minnesota also arranged a private workout on campus with McCarthy for next week, with O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah set to make that trip
Minnesota Vikings hot after Michigan’s JJ McCarthy?
The steam is so hot right now, connecting McCarthy to the Minnesota Vikings that they are actually more likely to land him right now at -130, according to DraftKings, than not. That’s right, if you want to bet on JJ McCarthy landing in Minnesota, you actually have to bet $130 to win $100.
With more than a month to go before the draft, there is ample time. Still, there’s a good chance the Vikings are targeting a quarterback. Which one do they prefer the best, and how much draft capital are they willing to part with, is the actual question.
Recall that local beat journalist Alec Lewis of The Athletic reported on the same day that Breer published this piece about JJ’s planned workout with the Vikings that Kwesi and KOC are more interested in either Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye than in McCarthy. Keep checking back—more than a month remains until the draft actually happens.
