Bucky Brooks NFL Mock Draft 2024: McCarthy to Vikings at 11; Penix Jr. Falls to Day 2

Bucky Brooks of NFL Network's final mock draft notably has Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy falling to the Minnesota Vikings at No. 11 and both Oregon QB Bo Nix and Washington signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. dropping out of Round 1 entirely.

"Kevin O'Connell gets his quarterback without climbing the board through a blockbuster trade," Brooks wrote. "McCarthy flourished in a managerial role at Michigan, but he possesses the talent to evolve into a playmaker as a pro."

There's been plenty of talk regarding teams trading up to No. 4, where the Arizona Cardinals currently reside. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that four teams are interested in moving up, perhaps to pick McCarthy.

As of now, Breer has USC's Caleb Williams, LSU's Jayden Daniels and UNC's Drake Maye going first through third, with the real intrigue starting at No. 4.

We're going to find out Thursday just how much teams like McCarthy. It's very possible that a team makes a big move up to No. 4 and grabs the Michigan signal-caller. The New York Giants (No. 6), Vikings (No. 11), Denver Broncos (No. 12) and Las Vegas Raiders (No. 13) all have QB questions.

But Brooks thinks McCarthy slips to No. 11, which would be a massive win for the Vikings, who are in need of a QB1 after Kirk Cousins left in free agency for the Atlanta Falcons. Brooks notably has the Cardinals selecting Ohio State superstar wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., certainly a good option considering that he's the No. 1 non-QB on many big boards.

The draft kicks off Thursday at 8 p.m. ET in Detroit.