The Minnesota Vikings are gearing up for the NFL Draft in six days, focusing on potential trades and player selections. Speculation includes the possibility of trading quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Key points
Minnesota Vikings are preparing for the NFL Draft
Draft is in six days
Speculation on trading J.J. McCarthy
Domonique Orange featured in college football context
AMES, IOWA - SEPTEMBER 27, 2025: Domonique Orange #95 of the Iowa State Cyclones rushes the line of scrimmage during the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at Jack Trice Stadium on September 27, 2025 in Ames, Iowa. (Photo by Luke Lu/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
AMES, IOWA - SEPTEMBER 27, 2025: Domonique Orange #95 of the Iowa State Cyclones rushes the line of scrimmage during the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at Jack Trice Stadium on September 27, 2025 in Ames, Iowa. (Photo by Luke Lu/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
We got 6 days until the draft! Nothing left to do but mock!
McCarthy has only started 10 of 34 possible games in his NFL career. If Minnesota believes that Murray can be the team’s long-term answer at quarterback, they could be willing to trade McCarthy this offseason, says Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report.
Davenport thinks that if the Vikings were to trade McCarthy, it may make sense to wait until the summer when the quarterback competition is decided. If McCarthy doesn’t win the job, the Vikings could decide to move on while the 23-year-old quarterback still has value.
“Will McCarthy ever be a viable NFL starter? That remains unclear. With at least two years left on his rookie deal, a quarterback-needy team might still consider offering a second-round pick to the Vikings for the 23-year-old, even if that level of investment would be risky and could backfire—as many aggressive QB swings have for struggling franchises.”
Potentially receiving a second-round pick in return could be enticing for the Vikings. However, if a team like the Rams came calling about McCarthy, Minnesota may want to think twice about whether they are making a mistake by moving on from him.
Q&A
What are the Minnesota Vikings' plans for the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Vikings are preparing for the draft by considering potential trades and player selections.
Could the Vikings trade J.J. McCarthy during the draft?
There is speculation that the Vikings may consider trading quarterback J.J. McCarthy during the 2026 NFL Draft.
When is the 2026 NFL Draft scheduled to take place?
The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled to take place in six days from now.
Who is Domonique Orange and what is his connection to the Vikings?
Domonique Orange is a player for the Iowa State Cyclones, mentioned in the context of college football, but his direct connection to the Vikings is not specified.
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Nonetheless, even if the 23-year-old ends up as the backup QB, KSTP’s Darren Wolfson doesn’t see the Vikings entertaining any calls for McCarthy, given Murray’s past health issues.
“It’s why I get it when I’m saying, like, OK, we question the future of J.J. McCarthy here, but until I hear otherwise, maybe they eventually do him a solid, but you’re not trading J.J. McCarthy,” Wolfson said on the April 16 edition of “The Purple Daily.”
“Twice in four years, KOC’s had to use three quarterbacks. So if it’s [Carson] Wentz and McCarthy [as the backup QBs], OK. How many seasons has he played every game? I mean, just semi-logic or full logic says [Murray is] not playing the entire season this year.”
Adam Thielen Gets Blunt About Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy
Ahead of the battle to determine the signal-caller for Week 1, McCarthy received an encouraging message from former Vikings wideout Adam Thielen.
“I just love his mindset,” Thielen said on the April 14 edition of the “Ross Tucker Football Podcast.” “You’re around him for a couple of days and you can feel it. I was able to work with him as a rookie during the offseason when he spent time in Minnesota, and we got the chance to throw and work together a bit.
“Then playing with him, you realize he’s just one of those guys. When you’re around him, you can tell he’s a winner. He understands that competitive edge, that chip on his shoulder, and he carries it with him.”
J.J. McCarthy Understands He Needs to Address Weaknesses
Moreover, Thielen notes that McCarthy knows what he needs to work on to improve and become an NFL starting QB, as he must address his weaknesses if he wants to be the guy who comes out on top in this competition to determine the Week 1 starter.
“He’ll be the first to admit there are areas where he needs to improve,“ Thielen added. “He’s a young player, and it’s not hard to understand the challenges he’s faced. Being drafted high comes with big expectations, and then getting injured in your first year makes it even tougher.
“When you’re on injured reserve, you’re not around the team in the same way. You’re not practicing, and you’re not getting reps on the field. That’s a lot of missed development time, so he’s had quite a few things working against him.”
Cris Carter expects Kyler Murray to start over J.J. McCarthy
“Kevin O’Connell has proven with this offense when he’s had a healthy QB, he’s been able to win 12, 13, 14 games during the regular season,” Carter told Heavy in an exclusive interview.
The former Vikings star still wouldn’t shut the door on McCarthy having an opportunity at one point. However, the job should be Murray’s to lose at the beginning.
“J.J. McCarthy, he’s still going to get an opportunity because most quarterbacks aren’t going to stay healthy for 17 games, so there will be an opportunity for him not only to learn and get better, but also to watch and learn from a guy like Kyler Murray,” added Carter. “But I’d expect Kyler to be the starter this season.”
Emmett Johnson – Twin Cities Live
However, because Johnson is from the state of Minnesota, the Vikings were able to bring him in for a “top 30” visit, without actually counting against the total number of visitors allowed by league rules.
Thus, it is difficult to grasp how noteworthy any hometown pre-draft visit really is. With that being said, Emmett sat down with former Viking Ben Leber on Twin Cities Live recently where he revealed that, at least in his eyes, Minnesota’s interest in him is very much real.
“I don’t really have a percentage, I just know that they’re definitely interested. I’m a hometown kid. It would be a great storyline. Not going here to college, but then coming back home. I told them, I said if y’all take a chance on me, it’s gonna the best thing that they ever did. But if y’all don’t, you gotta see me for 10 years. That’s kinda how I feel to be honest.”
Today’s mock comes from the Live Mock I did last weekend. It use to be the SBNation Live Mock Draft (7 rounds) and migrated to the Titans site and another fan site I cannot remember. Now it is on Discord. There were draft doofi for every team.
…
Trade with Titans
Received: Pick #66, #184
Sent: Pick #82, #97
… PICK 18 KENYON SADIQ, TE, OREGON 6’3″, 241
PICK 49 KEYLAN RUTLEDGE, IOL, GEORGIA TECH 6’4″, 316
PICK 66 DOMONIQUE ORANGE, DT, IOWA STATE 6’2″, 322
PICK 163 NICK SINGLETON, RB, PENN STATE 6’0″, 219
PICK 184 ANTHONY LUCAS, EDGE, USC 6’5.5″, 256
PICK 196 JEFF CALDWELL, WR, CINCINNATI 6’5″, 21
PICK 234 ROBERT SPEARS-JENNINGS, S, OKLAHOMA 6’2″, 20
PICK 234 COLE WISNIEWSKI, S, TEXAS TECH 6’4″, 22
PICK 235 DOMANI JACKSON, CB, ALABAMA 6’1″, 194
PICK 244 JACK DINGLE, LB, CINCINNATI 6’4″, 24
… UDFA
RILEY NOWAKOWSKI FB/HB INDIANA
BRYSON EASON DT TENNESSEE
DESHON SINGLETON S NEBRASKA
JAREN KUMP OC UTAH
COLLIN WRIGHT CB STANFORD
ZAVION THOMAS WR LSU
ELIJAH CULP CB JAMES MADISON
JALIN LENORE LB ALBAMA STATE HAYNES KING QB GEORGIA TECH
JA’QURIOUS CONLEY SS CHARLOTTE
SHIYAZH PETE OT KENTUCKY
JACOBIAN GUILLORY III DT LSU
ROCCO UNDERWOOD LS FLORIDA
CAMDEN BROWN WR GEORGIA STATE
JOSHUA WERU EDGE KENYA (IPP)
…
The offense is going to be stacked! Sadiq and Caldwell with Singleton too. Adding Nowakowski, Zavion Thomas, Kump, and others further helps out the offense. The defense got Big Citrus and some others. I expect the team will maybe sign a couple of more defenders as free agents.
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