Vikings trade up twice in Round 1 to select J.J. McCarthy, Dallas Turner

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Minnesota was additionally chargeable for the subsequent commerce within the draft, shifting as much as the No. 17 general slot by sending the Jacksonville Jaguars the No. 23 general decide (LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr.), No. 167, a 2025 third-round decide and a 2025 fourth-round decide.

With that transfer, the Vikings drafted Alabama move rusher Dallas Turner, who formally put his identify on NFL radars in his third and remaining season at Alabama by incomes first-team All-American and All-SEC honors, together with the SEC Defensive Participant of the Yr Award. He led the Crimson Tide with 14.5 tackles for loss in 14 video games. Regardless of shedding working mate Will Anderson to the Houston Texans in 2023, Turner shined, recording a career-high 10 sacks (tied for eighth-most within the FBS), two pressured fumbles and 53 tackles.

He’ll be entrusted with serving to exchange Danielle Hunter and bolstering the group’s move rush after Hunter departed in free company.

The 6-foot-2, 219-pound McCarthy was a five-star recruit out of the Chicago space who picked the Wolverines and noticed time behind starter Cade McNamara as a real freshman earlier than taking on the beginning job as a sophomore.

In 2022, McCarthy was named third-team All-Massive Ten, beginning 13 of 14 video games with a 12-1 report. He threw for two,719 yards, 22 touchdowns and solely 5 interceptions, including 5 speeding TDs. Michigan’s lone loss got here within the Fiesta Bowl in opposition to TCU, as McCarthy threw two picks.

However he would not lose one other faculty recreation, main Michigan to a 15-0 mark and a nationwide championship victory over Washington after beating Alabama within the Rose Bowl.

McCarthy threw for two,991 yards, 22 TDs and solely 4 interceptions in 2023, including three speeding scores. He elevated his completion proportion to a whopping 72.3, making large strides in that division after finishing solely 57.6% of his throws as a freshman and 64.6% as a sophomore. McCarthy was named Massive Ten Griese–Brees Quarterback of the Yr and first-team All-Massive Ten, whereas additionally ending tenth within the Heisman Trophy Award balloting.

Though McCarthy’s stats aren’t fairly as gaudy as these of among the different prime passers on this class, his intangibles look like off the charts. Former Michigan coach (and present Chargers head coach) Jim Harbaugh has raved about McCarthy, calling him the “finest quarterback in Michigan historical past” — a listing that features the likes of Tom Brady and Harbaugh himself. McCarthy’s 27-1 report as a beginning QB additionally speaks for itself.

McCarthy elevated his NFL profile with robust throwing classes at each the NFL Scouting Mix and at Michigan’s professional day. As NFL Community’s Lance Zierlein wrote, McCarthy’s “ball placement and timing want to enhance,” and he typically “leaves throws behind shifting targets, permitting defenders to problem catches.”

However as NFL Community’s Daniel Jeremiah factors out, McCarthy is an “athletic quarterback with a reside/free arm” and maintains consistency with “his capacity to at all times throw from a agency base, along with his ft and eyes related.” Jeremiah rated McCarthy because the draft’s No. 20 general prospect, evaluating him favorably to former NFL QB Alex Smith, style-wise.

Some observers would possibly naturally be suspicious of his quick rise throughout the draft course of, however McCarthy possesses a variety of qualities many profitable NFL quarterbacks do, with strong tangibles and terrific intangibles. The way it will translate to the subsequent stage — and how briskly McCarthy might take the sector — stay to be seen. Nevertheless it’s arduous to argue with the outcomes, even whereas McCarthy wasn’t capable of flash as a lot particular person talent as different passers on this class did in faculty.