DETROIT, Mich. – The Minnesota Vikings organization traded up in the 2024 NFL Draft held in Detroit to select University of Michigan junior quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick. The Vikings moved up one spot and sent the 11th pick as well as a fourth and fifth round pick to the New York Jets in order to select McCarthy. He is the first Michigan player to be chosen by the Vikings since defensive back Josh Metellus in 2020 (sixth round, 205th pick).
McCarthy became the highest drafted Michigan quarterback in the history of the NFL Draft. McCarthy and his coach at U-M, the current Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, are the only Wolverines to be chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft. Harbaugh was selected with the 26th pick by the Chicago Bears in the 1987 NFL Draft.
A two-year starter and three-year letterman, McCarthy played in 40 career games and made 28 starts at quarterback. He posted a 27-1 record (.964) as a starting quarterback, the third-highest winning percentage in college football history. McCarthy helped lead the Wolverines to the 2023 National Championship and three outright Big Ten Championships during his time in the Maize and Blue.
He completed 482-of-713 passes (67.6%) for 6,226 yards with 49 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during his career. McCarthy has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in U-M history. McCarthy produced 125 TDs and 46 FGs on 294 drives in which he started and finished the possession during his career; 43% of the drives led to TDs and points were scored on 58% of all possessions. McCarthy earned All-Big Ten honors during both of his seasons as a starter, receiving second-time honors in 2022 and first-team accolades in 2023.
McCarthy put it all together and fulfilled his goal by leading U-M to the 2023 national title. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and was the conference’s Quarterback of the Year in 2023. McCarthy was also a finalist for the Manning and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards and was a semifinalist for the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards. McCarthy completed 240-of-332 passes (72.3%) for 2,991 yards and 22 TDs with four interceptions. He was sixth nationally in completion percentage, ninth in pass efficiency (167.4 rating) and 12th in passing yards per attempt (9.01 avg.).
McCarthy was most dominant on third down during the 2023 season, completing 53-of-79 passes (67.1%) for 729 yards with a 169.67 passer rating. In situations of 3rd-and-7-plus yards, he completed 36-of-49 passes (73.4%) for 544 yards with 27 first downs or touchdowns (6).
The second and third rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft will be held Friday evening (April 26) starting at 7 p.m. ET. ABC, ESPN and NFL Network
Notes:
• With the selection of McCarthy, a Michigan player has been selected in 86 consecutive NFL Drafts (1938 to present), continuing the program’s NCAA record streak among its peers.
• McCarthy is the seventh Wolverine to be drafted by the Minnesota Vikings.
• With McCarthy’s selection at No. 10, Michigan has had 21 players taken within the first 10 picks of the draft (AAFC, AFL and NFL drafts).
• McCarthy is the 53rd NFL first-round pick in school history.
• This is the sixth straight draft in which a Michigan player has been chosen in the first round.
• With McCarthy’s selection at No. 10, a Michigan player has been selected in the top 10 in two of the last three drafts; Aidan Hutchinson went No. 2 overall to the Detroit Lions in the 2022 NFL Draft.
• McCarthy is the 54th player drafted during head coach Jim Harbaugh’s tenure (2015-23), including the 10th first-round pick.
• McCarthy is the 18 Michigan quarterback to be drafted by an NFL team.
• McCarthy is the 402nd Michigan player to be selected in the NFL Draft.
