Kyle Sloter Says “Nope” on Vikings QB Target
Dustin Baker
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With a bucket of cold water in hand, former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyle Sloter is wildly unenthused by J.J. McCarthy’s scouting report.
Kyle Sloter Says “Nope” on Vikings QB Target
McCarthy, the National Championship-winning passer from the Michigan Wolverines, is the odds-on favorite to become a Viking on Thursday night, with around +160 odds. Most Vikings fans have whittled the team’s choice at QB1 to Drake Maye and McCarthy, so a grand climax is afoot in two days.
Left up to Sloter, though, McCarthy would be a “massive stretch” for the Vikings. And he wasn’t bashful about unloading his opinion. “Let me preface this before I say something controversial, I’ve only watched two games of film on JJ McCarthy. They were the National Championship and the playoff game against Alabama. I don’t see anything that would make me want to draft him in the first round of this draft,” Sloter tweeted Tuesday.
On March 13th, Kirk Cousins formally left Minnesota, signing with the Atlanta Falcons for four years and $180 million. About 48 hours later, Vikings boss Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pulled the trigger on an unforeseen trade, grabbing an additional 1st-Round pick from the Houston Texans while offloading two 2nd-Rounders in the deal, plus a late-round pick swap.
Now, fans wonder which team will do business with Minnesota for the would-be trade, as the Washington Commanders (Pick No. 2), the New England Patriots (Pick No. 3), the Arizona Cardinals (Pick No. 4), or the Los Angeles Chargers (Pick No. 5) are likely companions.
Sloter continued on McCarthy, “Ball placement is erratic forcing receivers to make acrobatic catches, questionable decision making, good not great arm, and I wonder if he’s able to read a defense as well as he will be required to. He definitely had moments where he stepped up and made a play but we’re talking about him going #2 in the draft. I think that’s a massive stretch. QB5-6 in this draft in my opinion.”
Caleb Williams (USC), Jayden Daniels (LSU), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), and Bo Nix (Oregon), plus McCarthy and Maye, of course, are expected to go off the board in Rounds 1 and 2. Most Vikings loyalists believe the purple team will end up with one of the six.
And according to Sloter, that should be one big nope on McCarthy, particularly if a huge trade is needed to land the Wolverine’s services.
Last year, Sloter was extremely high on C.J. Stroud and was correct about his translation to the NFL.
Sloter ranked the Top 4 of this year’s class as follows:
- Jayden Daniels
- Drake Maye
- Michael Penix Jr.
- Caleb Williams
The Vikings haven’t drafted a quarterback in Round 1 (or 2) since Teddy Bridgewater — a decade ago.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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