The Minnesota Vikings had a nice thing going with Kirk Cousins, so why not choose a candidate that is similar to his predecessor in the NFL, i.e. J.J. McCarthy?
Colin Cowherd has advocated that the Vikings trade the Los Angeles Chargers for the fifth pick and choose the Michigan quarterback in Cowherd’s latest mock draft.
“McCarthy is moving into a furnished flat. He does not have to play. He can sit behind Sam Darnold. They possess the… Cowherd stated, “The best young left tackle, best receiver in football, top-five running back, great No. 2 receiver, top-five, six, or seven tight ends, and a good offensive line.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler spoke with NFL scouts about the most popular NFL analogies for this year’s quarterback prospects, and McCarthy was compared to Brock Purdy and Kirk Cousins – both smart game managers with some physical limitations.
Neither comparison is flattering when you consider the Hall of Fame potential that a top-five pick possesses.
That’s not an issue for Cowherd, who believes the Vikings can win with a “Kirk Cousins-level” replacement with the benefits of a rookie contract to grow on.
“I don’t think J.J. McCarthy has a big-time arm or a big-time NFL body.” Does Kirk Cousins?… Remember, because you removed Cousins’ pay, you can add components. Cowherd described the prospect as being comparable to Kirk Cousins, but without the salary. “You can win a lot of games in this league doing that.”
While some fans and media have urged the Vikings to spend as much future draft money as necessary to capture a generational quarterback prospect, McCarthy’s floor and potential to build around him make him an intriguing option for contention.
