Many players have struggled to transition from college to the NFL, especially QBs. J.J. McCarthy was a prime example last year.
But why is that?
There are multiple reasons why we see QBs struggle in their first few years in the league. The NFL has tighter hash marks, causing the pro game to be played more in the center of the field and limits passing windows. There are also more run-pass option-centered offenses in the college game due to this. Not to mention the NFL has complex offensive playbooks that require a borderline genius to memorize.
There’s also the talent-level jump that any major college football conference can’t replicate. Throw in outside factors like NIL encouraging QBs to hop from system to system, hindering their development, and you have a recipe for a tough evaluation for NFL scouts.
The Vikings know this all too well with J.J. McCarthy.
So, with all of this working against NFL talent evaluators, what can teams do to help create early success for an NFL QB?
One route some NFL teams take is to bring in college teammates who already have a pre-established relationship with the QB to help build familiarity. The most obvious success story of this strategy is the Cincinnati Bengals taking Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase in back-to-back drafts. Another is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pairing Baker Mayfield with Sterling Shepard.
Now the question is whether the Vikings can replicate that strategy to help develop J.J. McCarthy?
Before we dive into some routes the Vikings could pursue this offseason, we need to address Minnesota’s pursuit of Kyler Murray. The first-overall pick in 2018 is a heck of a player, but his play style might not work in Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
McCarthy has more experience with O’Connell’s offense, and it would be borderline irresponsible of the Vikings to give up on such a young QB this early in his career, especially with the Sam Darnold career trajectory fresh in the organization’s mind. Plus, early reports indicate the Vikings still want to keep McCarthy, even with a looming veteran QB signing.
With all of that said, how can the Vikings help McCarthy reach his potential?
There are several great trade targets and potential cut candidates with ties to McCarthy’s time at the University of Michigan, who could not help with his development, and also fill immediate offensive needs for the team. Let’s dive into Minnesota’s needs this offseason and some targets who fit the criteria mentioned above.
We will start up front. The Wolverines had one of the best lines in college football during McCarthy’s time at Michigan; in fact, they won back-to-back Joe Moore Awards in 2021 and 2022, given to the best offensive line unit in college football.
Two of McCarthy’s starting centers during that time are ideal trade targets for the Vikings, especially after they learned that Ryan Kelly will be retiring after 10 NFL seasons. These two targets are Olu Oluwatimi and Drake Nugent, who are in depth roles with the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, respectively.
Oluwatimi lost the starting job to Jalen Sundell this season, but regained it for a short time after Sundell went out with an injury. Conversely, Nugent spent most of the season on San Francisco’s practice squad. Both are in depth roles, relatively young, and have prior experience with McCarthy. They also fill an immediate need for a center this offseason.
Next up, we have Roman Wilson. He’s a pass catcher who thrived with McCarthy at Michigan but is struggling to carve out a role with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wilson was on the receiving end of an insane grab that helped spark a win in the College Football Playoffs against Dallas Turner’s Alabama squad.
However, since going to Pittsburgh, he has fought through injuries and has had a limited role on offense. Wilson would benefit from a change in scenery and reuniting with his college teammate in the Twin Cities. The Vikings routinely run 3WR sets and have rostered five to six WRs on their final groups the past two seasons, so there is more of an opportunity for Wilson to thrive in Minnesota.
If the Vikings aren’t looking to send draft assets away to fill the WR3 need this offseason, they can monitor Cornelius Johnson and Ronnie Bell. Both players have been on and off multiple NFL practice squads since playing at Michigan.
Finally, we are going to highlight part of the two-headed rushing attack that helped lead the Wolverines to the national championship in 2023. Like Johnson and Bell, Donovan Edwards has been bouncing around NFL practice squads and is with the Miami Dolphins. He would be an ideal candidate to monitor as teams make offseason roster cuts.
Edwards is a great fit for the Vikings for a few reasons. One is the connection to Frank Smith, whom the Vikings just hired as their assistant head coach. Smith was Miami’s OC when the Dolphins signed Edwards. Edwards also excels in the passing game, accumulating just under 800 receiving yards during his time at Michigan, all while sharing touches with Blake Corum.
Donovan will not only be a good candidate to develop behind Aaron Jones, but he will also help McCarthy feel more comfortable throwing checkdowns to a target he trusts out of the backfield. He would also be a great complement to Jordan Mason’s physical running style.
Multiple offseason speculation from insiders indicates the Vikings are frustrated with McCarthy’s development. Even sources from inside the building worry about his mechanics progression.
With all of that said, we need to start questioning what the Vikings are doing to help with McCarthy’s development. With so many things working against the young QB, what can the team do to help him feel more comfortable and take a leap in Year 3?
Perhaps bringing in teammates he had championship success with will help unlock another level of McCarthy’s game, while also filling positions of need for the team. It worked for the Bengals and Buccaneers, why not the Vikings?
