J.J. McCarthy

Minnesota Vikings·#9

Pos QBHt 6'3"Wt 202 lbExp 1 yrCollege Michigan

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Season Stats · 10 games

1,63233rd

Pass Yds

1129th

Pass TD

1237th

INT

57.6%39th

Comp %

18119th

Rush Yds

48th

Rush TD

12.731st

Fantasy PPG

Advanced Metrics EPA & Next Gen Stats

-52.538th

Total EPA

-0.19839th

EPA / dropback

3.02s

Time to throw

9.3

Avg air yards

16.5%

Aggressiveness

52 yd23rd

Longest comp (air)

STM Take

McCarthy's effective rookie season closed at STTM #45 tier 8 across 10 games, the same kind of late-arriving starter profile Penix carries one division over. The recent game log includes legitimate 20-plus PPR weeks alongside near-zero floor games, so the variance band is wide. The college pedigree (national title, 27-1 record) is the long-bet case; the early NFL stats need a full season to mean anything.

McCarthy was born in Evanston, Illinois, attended Nazareth Academy and then IMG Academy for his senior year, and committed to Michigan over rival Ohio State. He won the 2023 College Football Playoff national title, was named 2023 Big Ten Quarterback of the Year, and finished 27-1 as a starter, the highest career winning percentage in FBS history. Minnesota took him tenth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He missed his entire rookie season to injury and took over as the starter in his second year.

Strengths

27-1 as a college starter, the highest career winning percentage in FBS history, with a 2023 national title.
Recent game logs show two 20-plus PPR weeks across his 10-game sample, including a 23.5 against good defenses.

Concerns

57.6 percent completion percentage and 72.6 passer rating on 243 NFL attempts are bottom-tier for any first-round QB's debut sample.
11 TDs against 12 INTs as a year-two starter is a worse ratio than every rookie on the current board.

What to watch: Whether a full healthy 17-game year-three produces a tier-5-or-better finish; the Vikings' system around him is built for it.