The Las Vegas Raiders may need to be creative when addressing their quarterback need this offseason. The free agent class is weak and the only two quarterbacks worth selecting with the No. 6 pick could be taken before the Raiders have a chance.
New head coach Pete Carroll seems intent on trying to build a winner quickly but that will be difficult without a strong quarterback. Without a ton of great options, the Raiders could take a pretty major swing.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report pitched a trade that would send the No. 6 pick to the Minnesota Vikings for quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
“The Vikings have one of the most interesting offseason decisions to make with their quarterback situation,” Ballentine wrote in a Feb. 3 column. “Teams around the league should be keeping a close eye on what they decide to do with Darnold’s free agency, because there will either be a promising quarterback prospect who could be on the market or a veteran whose stock is on the rise.
“The Vikings have the lowest investment in this year’s draft with just four total picks and two in the top 100. They could change that quickly if they were willing to trade McCarthy. The Michigan quarterback might have been the top quarterback prospect in this class, and he was only 21 when he was drafted. In this deal, the Raiders could simply use their sixth overall selection to draft a quarterback who may be better than any passer in this draft, and the Vikings get a chance to add a difference-maker to their promising roster.”
Would J.J. McCarthy Be Worth the No. 6 Pick?
McCarthy is less than a year removed from being the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He’s also only 22 and has a lot of untapped potential.
However, he missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus. He’s still young and should recover but that has to be a big red flag for teams. The Vikings do have Sam Darnold but he’s a free agent. They need to decide which quarterback they want to build around.
If they’re keen on giving up McCarthy, that’s also a bit concerning. The No. 6 pick might be too high for the young quarterback. Perhaps a 2026 first-round pick from the Raiders would be more appealing for them. It’ll be difficult to know what the Vikings even plan to do until free agency gets here.
McCarthy Does Have Upside
It’s easy to see new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly being intrigued by McCarthy. He likes a quarterback who can move and McCarthy is much more athletic than what the Raiders currently have. He’s no Lamar Jackson but he did rush for 632 yards in college.
He’s also just so young that Kelly will essentially have a blank slate to work with. The AFC West is loaded with great young quarterbacks so the Raiders need one of their own. McCarthy is young enough to build around and his contract won’t be an issue for at least three more seasons. It’d be a risky move but it’s easy to see the Raiders being willing to take this swing if they don’t like their options in the draft.
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