The Minnesota Vikings need to shut the door on anything saying that JJ McCarthy isn't the guy, and they do just that in this NFL Mock Draft. At this point, something catastrophic would have to happen for McCarthy to not be the starter of the Minnesota Vikings come Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season.
The team seemed to be 'kind-of' in on Aaron Rodgers, but I believe that ship has sailed. At this point, the entire organization needs to rally behind the young QB and give him everything he needs to succeed, and this includes ensuring the defensive needs are taken care off, along with the needs remaining on offense.
Let's get into this 'all-in on JJ McCarthy' mock draft for the Minnesota Vikings.
Vikings 2025 NFL Mock Draft: Front office is all in on JJ McCarthy now
24. Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
Nick Emmanwori being mocked to the Minnesota Vikings might be getting old, but the secondary is a huge area of need for this team, and this is especially true at safety. Emmanwori could likely start from Day 1 and would flourish in Brian Flores' defense.
This might be an overused pick, but he would be a good fit for the team.
97. Jordan Burch, EDGE, Oregon
The Vikings continue their massive investment along the defensive line and elect to bolster their pass rush with Jordan Burch from Oregon at pick 97. In 2024 for the Ducks, Burch had 11 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, so he was quite the productive player. He transferred over from South Carolina and has played 58 games in college, so he's got a ton of experience.
139. Jake Briningstool, TE, Clemson
Jake Briningstool is a huge target at tight end and has caught 127 passes and 17 touchdowns in his collegiate career. Yet another weapon for JJ McCarthy, Briningstool could be a mismatch on more vertical passing routes for the Vikings and could also be a neat red zone target as well. With how deep this TE class is, it would be wise for Minnesota to draft one at some point.
187. Connor Colby, OG, Iowa
The Minnesota Vikings could pursue an upgrade at left guard at some point in the 2025 NFL Draft, so they take the polished and reliable Connor Colby from Iowa. Colby might not start in Week 1, but this could be a nice long-term play for the offensive line that saw two major additions in Will Fries and Ryan Kelly this offseason.