The Minnesota Vikings are getting criticism for their first-round NFL Draft pick in the 2024 class. 2-time Super Bowl champion LeSean McCoy is unimpressed with Vikings' pick J.J. McCarthy. McCoy says the Vikings are the losers of the draft for the pick.

“What shows you that J.J. can go out there and win games for you,” McCoy said. “What shows you that he can go out there and win games with his arm.” McCoy did go on to compliment McCarthy for winning a national championship with Michigan football in 2023.

McCarthy and the Vikings

JJ McCarthy
Junfu Han/USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK

McCarthy was taken by the Vikings as the tenth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The quarterback was one of 13 Wolverines who were taken in the event, which was a school record. He was also the fifth quarterback taken overall, and one of 14 consecutive offensive players that went at the start of the draft. The quarterback was the only Wolverine taken on day one of the ceremony.

McCarthy was an integral part of a Michigan football team that went to the College Football Playoff for three consecutive years. The Wolverines defeated Washington in the CFP final in 2023. On the season, McCarthy had 2,991 passing yards for Michigan. He also threw 22 touchdowns for the second consecutive season. He took care of the football, as he only threw five interceptions during the campaign.

The Vikings selected the gunslinger, as the team felt they needed a quarterback right away in the draft. Minnesota missed out on several other players, including Caleb Williams, who went first overall to the team's rival Chicago. The Vikings are trying to gain ground in the NFC North, as the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions both made the playoffs in 2023. Minnesota finished the season with a 7-10 record, missing out on the postseason.

McCoy's take

McCoy doesn't seem impressed with the arm on McCarthy, and cited that as his main criticism of the player. It will be interesting to see if McCoy turns out to be right. The quarterback may get a chance this season to lead the team, as the Vikings also signed Sam Darnold this offseason from the San Francisco 49ers. Darnold and McCarthy will compete for the starting job this offseason in Minnesota. The team no longer has veteran Kirk Cousins, who is now with the Atlanta Falcons.

McCoy knows a thing or two about quarterbacks, as the 2-time Super Bowl champion played with quite a few of them. McCoy won Super Bowls as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The running back rushed for more than 11,000 yards in his NFL career. He also had nearly 4,000 receiving yards.

Vikings fans are surely chomping at the bit to see what their new quarterbacks can do. Time will tell how McCarthy fares in an NFL offense.