Hot take predicts JJ McCarthy will be upgrade over Sam Darnold for Vikings

Heading into the 2024 NFL draft, it was clear that this was an abnormally strong group at quarterback. Analysts were predicting that as many as five QB prospects could get drafted in the first round - but quarterbacks tend to out-perform their projections, and there wound up being six.

No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams hit some predictably rough waters after landing with the Chicago Bears - a franchise synonymous with ruining QBs. However, Williams did show enough potential to believe he can still be something special - especially now that he has Ben Johnson calling the plays.

Meanwhile, the second overall pick Jayden Daniels put together what was arguably the greatest rookie season by any QB in league history, leading the Commanders all the way to the NFC championship. Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix also had their moments as rookies and look to be potential long-term starters for their respective teams.

One guy who we didn't get to see perform was Michigan's JJ McCarthy, who went to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 10 overall but suffered a meniscus tear in that required multiple surgeries and put him on the sidelines for the entire year.

In his stead, the Vikings signed Sam Darnold - and he led them on an improbable run that ended with a 14-3 record. Despite Darnold's great showing Minnesota elected to let him walk in free agency, and he wound up signing with the Seattle Seahawks. Now, the Vikings are once again expected to start McCarthy at quarterback.

According to one analyst's hot take, McCarthy should be an upgrade over Darnold for them. Here's what Jacob Robinson from Scoop City had to say about it.

"The Vikings are somehow better on paper than last year’s 14-win team. Blame their late-season collapse on the interior of their offensive line and Sam Darnold. Both are fixed, with the interior of their line drastically improved via free agency and the draft, while McCarthy, the No. 10 pick in 2024,should be an upgrade over Darnold. Pair an elite offense with one of the league’s best defenses — which remains almost fully intact — and you have a team that can hang with anyone."

Mnnesota's offensive line is unquestionably improved, but to claim that they're better off with McCarthy after the year that Darnold just put on film is pretty wild.

McCarthy could go down as the greatest quarterback in NFL history - and he could be a worse starter than Mitch Trubisky - there's just no way to know which way he'll go at this point. We do know that his game was still considered very raw coming out of Michigan, where his duties mostly amounted to handing the ball off in an extremely run-heavy offense.

McCarthy will need to do a lot more than that with the Vikings, who have the best receiver in the NFC on the roster and a strong skill group, overall. Taking advantage of those weapons is a non-negotiable necessity - and the odds are against McCarthy doing a better job of it than Darnold, who perfomed at a top-five level for much of the regular season.

We will have to revisit this one down the road, especially when the Vikings come to visit in November.