BY COLIN BISH, STAFF WRITER
Photo Courtesy of @JVSwaps on X
The Minnesota Vikings selected Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite the mass online scrutiny McCarthy has received, the 2023 National Champion will succeed as Kirk Cousins’s heir apparent.
The NFL hype for McCarthy rose after his Michigan Wolverines defeated the Washington Huskies in January to win the school’s first national title since 1997. However, McCarthy only completed 10 of 18 passes for 140 yards in that game.
Many criticized McCarthy’s rise up draft boards because, in the biggest game of the year, McCarthy didn’t make a massive impact. Michigan dominated behind their two running backs, Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards.
Many highlight one of McCarthy’s biggest criticisms: his struggles throwing outside the numbers. According to PFF, McCarthy only completed 37% of passes 20 yards outside the right numbers.
McCarthy needs help on the left side of the field, completing only 48% of passes outside the left numbers between 10 to 20 yards downfield.
However, I believe that McCarthy’s strengths significantly outweigh his weaknesses.
McCarthy’s biggest strength is his ability to make throws easily over the middle of the field. On passes between the numbers between 0 to 20 yards down the field, McCarthy completed about 75% of passes over the middle of the field, helped by his craftiness in the pocket.
While McCarthy still struggles with odd movements and footwork in the pocket, his 2023 season showed massive improvements. After struggling with timing and feeling pressure his first year as the starter in 2022, McCarthy fixed those issues and has primed himself to adjust to a faster pace in the NFL.
Additionally, heading to Minnesota with head coach Kevin O’Connell is the best possible scenario for McCarthy.
Many analysts predicted that McCarthy could succeed in an offense that runs a lot of play action and utilizes the middle of the field. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay runs that kind of offense, which he passed down to former Rams offensive coordinator and current Vikings head coach, O’Connell.
O’Connell has helped produce one of the most efficient passing games in the NFL. Last season, Kirk Cousins completed nearly 78% of his passes for ten touchdowns and almost 1,500 yards between the numbers, all in just eight games for the Vikings.
At just 21 years old, McCarthy has only two years of starting experience in college, which makes him seem inexperienced. But 29 games started is nothing to discredit, and McCarthy helped bring success the Michigan football program hadn’t seen in decades.
Just look at what McCarthy has accomplished: two Big Ten Conference championships, two College Football Playoff berths, a Rose Bowl victory and the aforementioned 2023 national title.
For as young as McCarthy is, having that much success is astonishing. Obviously, it won’t be replicated immediately in the NFL, but McCarthy is in the best possible situation to become a successful NFL quarterback.
Anyone can say whatever they wish about McCarthy, but saying he will end up a bust because he can’t throw the deep ball well is illogical.
McCarthy has made steady and productive improvements in his game since starting in Ann Arbor. With his pure athleticism and talent coupled with a near-perfect system alongside O’Connell, I have no doubt that J.J. McCarthy will become a star in the North Star State.
bishcj22@bonaventure.edu
