Report: NFC team will be ‘active’ in pursuit of JJ McCarthy

JJ McCarthy has risen up the draft board in recent weeks, and one NFC team is determined to grab the former Michigan star.

ESPN’s Matt Miller said in an insider piece published on Saturday that various NFL sources have told him the Minnesota Vikings are interested in McCarthy. The expectation is that the team will be “aggressive” in attempting to trade up.

“In talking to NFL personnel while on the road at pro days this week, the feeling is still the Vikings will be aggressive in trading up to the No. 4 or No. 5 spot to land the Michigan quarterback,” Miller said in a statement. “One general manager I spoke with this week thinks McCarthy is a top-six pick right now. The question is, who will trade up for him?”

Following a trade with the Houston Texans earlier this month, the Vikings now have the No. 11 and No. 23 overall picks in the upcoming draft. There have been multiple suggestions that Minnesota could try to trade both first-round picks to move up for a quarterback like McCarthy.

Assuming Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye go in the first three picks, the Vikings would likely need to move up to No. 4 to ensure they get McCarthy. The Arizona Cardinals presently have that choice, and they are at least open to offers.

The Vikings need a quarterback after Kirk Cousins accepted a large free-agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Minnesota has since signed Sam Darnold, but all indications are that they intend to make a huge splash in the draft as well.