J.J. McCarthy's Arm Talent Praised By Vikings HC O'Connell After NFL Preseason Debut

J.J. McCarthy had a solid preseason debut for the Minnesota Vikings, and head coach Kevin O'Connell had high praise for the No. 10 pick after his first game.

"Clearly, everybody can see the arm talent," O'Connell said, per The Athletic's Alec Lewis. "I just love seeing him come right back after the interception, still be aggressive and still stay true to footwork, timing, rhythm, where his eyes should be."

McCarthy ended Saturday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders with 188 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns on 11-of-17 passing. He had one interception, but as O'Connell said, he managed to bounce back from the mistake to put together a solid day.

The rookie also showed an impressive ability to escape pressure and get out of the pocket to make plays, something that doesn't always come naturally to first-year quarterbacks.

Sam Darnold, who started Saturday's game, had 59 passing yards on 4-of-8 passing.

While Darnold has a leg up on McCarthy due to his veteran status, it wouldn't be shocking to see Minnesota move to McCarthy at some point in the season. The Vikings clearly saw something they liked in McCarthy, otherwise they wouldn't have used a first-round draft pick on him.

If Saturday's preseason debut is an indication of what's to come, McCarthy could very well move into a starting role at some point this season.