ESPN’s J.J. McCarthy trade hypothetical sends him to Rams

The 2026 NFL Draft is a little more than two weeks away. That makes it the perfect time for analysts to get a little whacky with their mock drafts. After all, fans are thirsty for something new after months of similar mock drafts. One national analyst suggested a bold trade during his latest mock.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell released a new mock draft on Monday that includes a hypothetical trade for every single pick.

Barnwell cooked up a fascinating scenario for the Rams with the 13th overall pick. He had Los Angeles trading that pick to Minnesota in exchange for the 18th overall pick, a third-round pick (97th overall), and quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

The Rams’ backup quarterback situation is still a mystery to many fans and analysts alike. But this hypothetical trade would give LA more draft assets and a backup quarterback in the process.

“Stafford is 38 years old,” Barnwell argued. “He won league MVP last season, but with any quarterback approaching 40, it’s smart to have a backup plan in place.”

This trade would obviously make some sense for the Rams. But would the Vikings dump McCarthy so quickly? Barnwell argued that the recent Kyler Murray signing does not bode well for McCarthy’s future in Minnesota.

If the Vikings did get rid of McCarthy, they would be doing so at quite the loss in terms of value.

“This trade would value McCarthy as being worth the 112th pick in a typical draft by the Jimmy Johnson chart, a selection in the middle of the fourth round,” Barnwell added. “That feels about right to me. And the Rams would be on the hook for $6.6 million over the next two years, which isn’t much for a developmental backup quarterback.”

This trade would likely be a big surprise for both Vikings and Rams fans if it happened on draft day.