The Minnesota Vikings selected University of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday night, filling their need under center.
McCarthy is arguably the most polarizing player in this draft class, and many fans and media members are not expecting big things from him on the professional level.
Take John Middlekauff of The Volume, for example.
When discussing McCarthy’s potential on Friday, Middlekauff had a very sobering comparison for him: former San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith.
“My comp for him was Alex Smith,” Middlekauff said. “And with Alex Smith, everything had to go right and it took a while. … More Alex Smiths turn into Kenny Picketts and Mac Jones than they do Kirk Cousins. And here’s the thing with Kirk Cousins: he was a mid-round pick, so there was a lot less pressure on him.”
Middlekauff qualifies his statement by saying that McCarthy is entering a pretty solid situation in Minnesota, so things will be a lot easier for him there than they would have been had he been selected by the New England Patriots at No. 3.
Smith was a No. 1 overall pick of the 49ers back in 2005, and while he was serviceable in San Francisco, he was still a significant disappointment.
He spent eight years with the Niners before moving on to the Chiefs in 2013, where Andy Reid got the most out of him for five seasons. Smith actually made three Pro Bowls in Kansas City, although his numbers weren’t exactly brilliant.
Smith then ended his career with Washington.
We’ll see what J.J. McCarthy ends up achieving on the NFL level. If he ultimately becomes the Chiefs’ version of Smith, effectively managing the game, limiting his mistakes and doing just enough to win games, perhaps the Vikings will be happy.
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