Vikings GM Explains Strategy for J.J. McCarthy's Development After Kirk Cousins Exit

The Minnesota Vikings selected Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday, and despite their desperate need for a quarterback, it doesn't sound as though McCarthy will be thrust into action before he is ready.

Per ESPN's Kevin Seifert, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made it clear Friday that the organization is content to take a slow and steady approach, saying: "We're not going to rush his development. We're just going to do what's best for the Vikings in the short and long term."

Adofo-Mensah went on to say that he and head coach Kevin O'Connell have been ironing out the process of developing a young quarterback for quite some time, noting that their goal is for the organization to avoid doing anything that stunts McCarthy's growth:

"We talked about these things. Not just, 'What do we want to do from a culture standpoint?' but 'How do you evaluate quarterbacks? How do you grow quarterbacks? How do you develop them?' And the things he talked about is the reason why I have so much faith in him to take and mold a player like [McCarthy] ... into that player we want him to be.

"A lot of times when we go back over history and say, 'These quarterbacks have missed,' there's a lot of hands that are dirty in that regard. And we're going to make sure that our hands are clean and give him the best opportunity he can to be the best player he can be in this offense."

McCarthy, 21, has some impressive tools and flashed dual-threat ability in college, but he wasn't often asked to go out and put games solely on his shoulders.

He was the beneficiary of great defenses and an elite running game led by running back Blake Corum while at Michigan, and it resulted in McCarthy putting up modest numbers.

In his final season with the Wolverines, McCarthy completed 72.3 percent of his passes for 2,991 yards, 22 touchdowns and four interceptions, and Michigan went undefeated and won the national title.

McCarthy would likely benefit from some additional development time, and the Vikings may be able to afford to make that happen due to the presence of Sam Darnold on the roster.

Minnesota signed the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft this offseason, giving it a veteran option who can start for an extended period of time if needed.

The Vikings have some big shoes to fill at the quarterback position following the departure of four-time Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins in free agency, but they have a high-ceiling guy with the potential to be their next franchise signal-caller in McCarthy.