Vikings almost drafted Dallas Turner over J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings were very active on draft night, but they almost went a different direction with their first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

When speaking to the media, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah discussed the team’s approach to the 2024 NFL Draft. That approach saw the team trading up to draft both J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner in round one. The run quarterbacks and the unexpected pick of Michael Penix Jr. prioritized McCarthy.

After the Vikings’ selection, they also competed with the Broncos and Raiders, the first of whom would go on to draft Bo Nix out of Oregon. Of course, this would indicate that had they gone with Turner first, the Vikings could have ended up with Nix.

While there could be some reading between the lines about whether they weren’t as high on McCarthy as they picked him, save yourself the time. Everything the team has said and done since the draft shows how excited they are for McCarthy and you should be too.