It was always a gamble by head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings to hand the keys of the franchise to second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy this year. The 22-year-old hadn’t played a meaningful snap of football since college football’s 2023 national championship game.
The Vikings didn’t just go all-in, though. They went all the way in, kicking No. 2 quarterback down the road in an almost irresponsible manner while committing close to $280 million to free agent contracts, more than any NFC team, to maximize the window associated with McCarthy’s rookie-scale contract.
Now 11 weeks into the season, the cards are fully exposed on the table. With McCarthy on the verge of missing his sixth start of 2025 due to injury, the team’s top decision makers could have no choice but to bail on their plan quickly, and that includes Day 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
NFL experts are already urging the Minnesota Vikings to target another QB in Round 1 of the 2026 draft
At 4-7, and with undrafted rookie Max Brosmer now taking first-team reps while McCarthy works through the NFL’s concussion protocol, a top-10 draft pick next year is becoming a harsh reality for the Vikings and their fans.
Minnesota’s roster needs an infusion of young talent, especially with well-paid veterans like Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave struggling to make a sizable impact this year. Given the Vikings’ high-end talent at the skill positions, as well as their heavy investment in the offensive line this past offseason, Brian Flores’ defense feels like the perfect place to start in the 2026 NFL Draft; position groups like cornerback, safety, linebacker and defensive tackle should all be on the Vikings’ radar in the early rounds.
McCarthy’s obvious need for more time and development could throw a wrench in those plans. While getting more serious about signing (or acquiring) a veteran QB is now a must for next year, Lou Scataglia of NFL Spin Zone sees another first-round draft pick becoming more viable by the game.
“The one way to sustain success in the NFL is to hit on a QB in the NFL Draft, and the Vikings taking McCarthy in 2024 was not a bad move. They seemed to have something worthwhile set up with (Sam) Darnold and McCarthy in the room, but the second-year QB missing the entire regular season hurt, and it's also very possible that he simply is not an NFL-caliber QB.
It's hard to believe that of the six first-round passers, the Vikings ended up with the worst one, but that is how things are looking. Minnesota could keep taking swings in 2026 and try to grab a first-round pick.”
The consensus top three quarterback prospects for 2026 (in no particular order) are Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Oregon’s Dante Moore. It’s still way too early, but in a weaker class for the position overall, draft experts don’t expect any of those players to last until the 12th overall pick.
The reality here is that the Vikings are too good to fall all the way into the top five picks for 2026. They’re more likely to finish around the 10th spot, at worst, so unless general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wants to trade up for a top-10 QB for the second time in three years, this all could be a moot point.
It all depends on these next six weeks, starting with what could be Brosmer’s first NFL start in an extremely tough spot on Sunday, on the road against the 8-3 Seattle Seahawks. If this 2025 season falls all the way off the rails, going with another Round 1 QB will be an impossible option to ignore if one of the top prospects is within a reasonable range.