The Minnesota Vikings are spending their Week 13 bye deliberating which of their quarterbacks will finish the season.
But in the background, Minnesota is putting in a noticeable amount of legwork and research into Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, an anticipated first-round pick in next year’s draft who was named the Big Ten Quarterback of the Year on November 29.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson has noted the Vikings have shown considerable interest in McCarthy.
During their Week 13 bye, the Minnesota Vikings are choosing which of their quarterbacks they want to play all season.
However, in the background, Minnesota is clearly doing a lot of research and legwork on Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who was voted the Big Ten Quarterback of the Year on November 29 and is expected to be selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
McCarthy has drawn a lot of interest from the Vikings, according to Darren Wolfson of KSTP
Right now, in this moment, they’re doing the most homework on McCarthy. I’m not making a bold statement … But I’m just saying they have done a ton of work [on McCarthy],” Wolfson said November 28 on SKOR North’s “Mackey & Judd” podcast on November 28.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was on the field during the Wolverines’ pregame warmups when they faced Minnesota on October 7. Adofo-Mensah is also well-connected with coach Jim Harbaugh, who was a finalist for the Vikings head coaching job, from their days with the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings have also sent scouts to Michigan practices, according to Wolfson.
They’re working on McCarthy’s homework the most at the moment. I’m not trying to make a big claim here. On SKOR North’s “Mackey & Judd” podcast on November 28, Wolfson stated, “But I’m just saying they have done a ton of work [on McCarthy].”
against October 7, before the Wolverines took against Minnesota, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was on the field. Adofo-Mensah also has a close relationship with Jim Harbaugh, the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, who was a finalist for the head coaching position with the Vikings. According to Wolfson, the Vikings have also deployed scouts to Michigan sessions.
This early in the draft evaluation process, there is a lot of scouting.
And although former scout and general manager of the Vikings Rick Spielman would frequently show up at college games, Adofo-Mensah hasn’t shown face for just any prospect throughout his career. It was important that he attended the Gophers vs. Wolverines game.
The Vikings may have missed out on blue-chip prospects like McCarthy, but they may still have a chance to sign Drake Maye of North Carolina or Caleb Williams of USC.
