The quarterback position has been a very popular selection for the Minnesota Vikings. In fact, the position has been mocked to the Vikings 62 times across 236 collected mock drafts through Sunday, March 3rd.
On Tuesday morning, we saw two major industry mock drafts released where the Vikings selected Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy: first from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and this one from ESPN’s Jordan Reid.
We obviously don’t know if free agent Kirk Cousins will return to Minnesota, but McCarthy fits coach Kevin O’Connell’s scheme so well. Yes, the passing sample size is limited — he only hit 25 or more passing attempts in 12 of 28 career starts — and his combine workout was inconsistent, but his efficiency at Michigan is noteworthy (72.3% completion rate). The infrastructure in Minnesota — with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson catching passes — is set up well for a young signal-caller to grow, too.
It didn’t stop there for Reid, as he has the Vikings double dipping with the Maize and Blue in selecting Michigan DT Kris Jenkins at 42nd overall.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has leaned on explosiveness in defensive prospects since taking over as Minnesota’s GM. Jenkins has those traits — he posted a 30-inch vertical at 299 pounds — and the Vikings’ defensive line could be headed for some turnover.
This would be a really impressive two-round haul for the Vikings. Getting the quarterback of the future paired with a high-upside defensive tackle is a great start to keeping this team on the right track.
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