Jan 1, 2024; Pasadena, CA, USA; Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) throws a pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first half in the 2024 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Vikings have kicked off their annual training camp. As always, the focus is on the rookies, especially first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is getting a lot of attention. His development in the near future will certainly determine the organization’s ceiling. Seeing him pan out would undoubtedly elevate the franchise in the pursuit of winning the first Super Bowl trophy.
J.J. McCarthy Details His Evolution
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy makes a pass against Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner during the first half of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Monday, Jan. 1, 2024.
Coming out of Michigan, McCarthy brought all the necessary physical tools. His all-around athleticism, whether his quickness or arm talent, made him an intriguing prospect. Those skills must be better controlled to succeed at the next level, so the coaches have adjusted some mechanics. The mental element is another important aspect. Learning the playbook and how to execute those plays in live reps can take some time.
On Friday, the tenth overall pick approached the media and answered some questions. The main focus, obviously, was on his development throughout the first few days of training camp and his trajectory since the draft in April.
Asked about his biggest adjustment since rookie minicamp, the first-rounder said: “I would say the footwork was the central piece of it because that kind of starts everything but just the way [I’m] reading plays. It’s a totally different offense ‒ a lot more pass-heavy, which I love. There are a lot more intricacies that go into it with just your thought process behind every play: knowing your hots (hot routes), knowing your protections. All the big-picture things that I never had to focus on in college.”
Jan 15, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings center Garrett Bradbury (56) prepares to snap the ball to quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) during the first quarter of a wild card game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports
McCarthy’s Michigan teams relied heavily on the run, while the Vikings don’t have the personnel to dominate the opponents by running the football all game. The adjustments in the playbook are normal for rookies who use a light version of NFL plays in college. Protections, audibles, and hot routes are a totally different ball game in the pros. That is certainly an area where having a veteran like Kirk Cousins under center is beneficial.
McCarthy worked all offseason in Minnesota to make sure to learn all those things: “I honestly feel like I’ve been here for a year already. I stayed back this entire summer to just not take my head away from it and just continued to dive into the playbook and focus on the little things like drops, like progressions, like the different defenses that Coach Flo (Brian Flores) throws at us. I feel like being around this building, every single day, my comfortability in this offense is growing exponentially.”
Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy is sacked by Indiana linebacker Aaron Casey during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023.
A big point of emphasis for the 21-year-old was to get a command of the offense after struggling with the play calls in the offseason: “In OTAs, it was very hard for me to get out of a play-call. Everyone thinks that they can play quarterback (in the NFL), but try getting out of the huddle.”
Those issues are now gone, the rookie claimed on Friday: “That was my biggest goal going into this training camp, was to be able to hear it (the play call) one time and execute it and regurgitate it to the guys with confidence. I’ve been doing that so far.”
Throughout the offseason, he studied the playbook and worked out with NFL talent. He met with ex-Viking Adam Thielen and fullback C.J. Ham. The wideout knows many aspects of the playbook, and his suggestions helped McCarthy grow, the QB mentioned.
Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell speaks during a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The young passer is competing with Sam Darnold, at least head coach Kevin O’Connell indicated that on Monday: “I have no preconceived, preset depth chart in my mind beyond, I believe I said at the end of spring, Sam was the number one quarterback. Sam had a great spring. J.J. came in here after being drafted and had a really productive spring as well. So, my message to those guys is I want a really competitive situation. Sam will be taking the majority of his reps with that first group, but I think you’ll see J.J. maybe get some as well. But also, it’s about the quality as much as the volume of those reps throughout camp.”
Darnold is currently expected to be the starter in Week 1, but he might be challenged if McCarthy can continue improving rapidly. He was certainly among the standout performers on Thursday.
McCarthy’s first game action is planned for August 10 when the Vikings meet the Las Vegas Raiders in a preseason matchup.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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Publish date : 2024-07-26 20:02:34
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