NFL Draft News: Vikings Emerge as “Heavy Favorites” to Sign J.J McCarthy as Giants & Commanders Dealt Crushing Blow

The fans saw this one coming a mile away since the day Keven O’Connell and Co. nodded yes to McCarthy’s demands for an exclusive workout day. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach O’Connell did not need to assess JJ McCarthy’s performance once on his Pro Day as they seemed pretty confident in their pick.

Exuding more of this confidence, reports claim that JJ McCarthy is a ‘Heavy Favorite’ of the Vikings with just about a month left for the NFL Draft. “NEWS: Michigan QB JJ McCarthy has become the HEAVY FAVORITE on all major sports books to be selected by the #Vikings after his Pro Day,” the report stated. 

This would be concerning news for the Giants and the Commanders ahead of the draft. Besides the Vikings, these two franchises were invested the most in the JJ McCarthy race. The two even had a little competition in arranging a private dinner with the quarterback ahead of draft day to secure him.

The Commanders, who have the No.2 draft pick, flew to Ann Arbor Thursday night for a private dinner with JJ McCarthy. Before this tête-à-tête with the Commanders, McCarthy also flew out to have dinner with Giants and a private tour of their facility the previous week. The Giants are at No.6.

But the real question is, will the Commanders pick McCarthy as their second pick? Sure, he is the hottest in the NFL trade market, and his draft stocks have rocketed in the last couple of weeks, but the Commanders would also have access to 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye if they are looking to make a trade in the quarterback department.

If they will, then they will lose the chance to have Maye or Daniels on board, and if they lose McCarthy in the first round, there will be plenty of teams right after the Commanders turn to secure McCarthy. Not to mention the brilliant performance McCarthy displayed on Pro Day and the Combine week. It would be a risky call if the Commanders, the Giants, or the Vikings miss this.

JJ McCarthy’s Pro Day and Scouting Combine records

Football experts had reservations when they first saw the mind-blowing performance at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The three-cone drill in 6.82 seconds was tied for the sixth-best at the Combine and the best for the quarterback. While he missed the 40-yard dash and the jumps because of hamstring tightness, he did not leave any stone unturned while flaunting his velocity during the hardest throw to be recorded by quarterbacks. McCarthy shocked everyone by recording one at 61 mph, the second-best mark behind former Tennessee signal-caller Joe Milton III.

READ ALSO: J.J. McCarthy’s Pro Day Performance Boosts Draft Stock Amid Giants Interest With Impressive 60+ Yard Pass to Blake Corum

In the Pro Day, McCarthy missed only twice during his 25-minute session. His laser-like 60-yard touchdown pass found its target in Blake Corum. But what indeed won hearts was his arm strength and velocity; the smooth rollout to his left and a wrist flip made everyone’s eyebrows go up. With such commendable records and the teams after him in the draft race, would the Vikings be able to secure JJ McCarthy?

READ MORE: 2024 NFL Draft Report: Vikings’ Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell Forgo Michigan Pro Day for Exclusive Workout with J.J. McCarthy