J.J. McCarthy will get immediate opportunity to torture team who passed on him

The Minnesota Vikings moved up one spot, from No. 11 to No. 10, to select Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy in last month's NFL Draft. He became the fifth QB selected in the top 10, setting a league record and quenching Minnesota's desperation to replace Kirk Cousins. McCarthy is the highest-drafted quarterback in Vikings history.

In order for McCarthy to fall to the 10th spot, however, several QB-needy teams decided to pass on him. The Bears, Commanders, Patriots, and Falcons all selected quarterbacks ahead of McCarthy. The New York Giants were rumored to have interest in quarterbacks — McCarthy included — but ultimately landed on LSU WR Malik Nabers instead.

Now, McCarthy gets his chance at revenge. Maybe. The Vikings visit the Giants in Week 1, per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, offering McCarthy the opportunity to immediately instill a feeling of immense regret in the Giants front office. That is, of course, assuming that McCarthy can win the QB1 job in camp.

Vikings-Giants matchup set for Week 1 as potential J.J. McCarthy debut

The stage is set for an epic beginning to McCarthy's career, but there is an obvious caveat. Before McCarthy's arrival, the Vikings inked Sam Darnold to a one-year contract, presumably to fill Kirk Cousins' shoes. A former top-3 pick, Darnold has some pedigree to his name. He didn't play much with the San Francisco 49ers last season, but he was integrated into a comparable offensive scheme. He should pick up the Kevin O'Connell offense fairly quickly, and the Vikings have expressed a desire to bring McCarthy along slowly.

At 21 years old, McCarthy lacks experience relative to his 2024 draft peers. Even fellow 21-year-old Drake Maye threw 239 more passes at the college level. Michigan won the national title last season, a major accomplishment, but Jim Harbaugh's offensive philosophy was rooted in hammering the run game. McCarthy wasn't often tasked with making advanced throws or leading the offense with his arm. He was great as a game manager, and the tools are there, but he has far more to prove than others selected in the top 10.

That doesn't mean he can't win the starting job from Darnold with a strong camp, of course. The Vikings' scheme and personnel is going to buoy just about any signal-caller. There's merit to taking the patient approach to player development, but at the same time, McCarthy is clearly the future of Minnesota's offense. It could be worth throwing him into the fire and letting him work through the early adjustments in real time.

Most NFL fans would prefer to watch McCarthy duel Daniel Jones in Week 1. Except maybe Giants fans, who probably wouldn't feel great about their chances in that matchup.