It’s a burden to point it out, but with Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy demoted to a backup this offseason – – Kyler Murray is here – – the franchise may have been better served to select a different player in the 1st Round of the 2024 NFL Draft. There were options.
McCarthy can still reclaim his career, yet for now, he’s taking an Anthony Richardson or Zach Wilson path.
Here’s who the Vikings, in theory, could’ve drafted instead of McCarthy.
The 2024 Draft Board Looks Very Different Now
5. Bo Nix | QB (DEN)
Nix still isn’t the most reliable thrower, and his arm strength doesn’t match an elite quarterback’s. But he’s more efficient than McCarthy – – and the Denver Broncos are making it work with him at QB1.
Through two seasons, Nix has started every game, thrown for 7,706 yards and 54 touchdowns, and helped Denver become an AFC contender. McCarthy, meanwhile, has battled injuries and a rollercoaster of ups and downs — mostly downs. The Vikings clearly preferred McCarthy’s upside in 2024, but in hindsight, Nix offers the neatest argument because he addressed the exact same need.
Nix probably won’t morph into a Josh Allen-like elite signal-caller, but he’s played more efficiently than McCarthy in every credible passing metric.
4. Byron Murphy | DT (SEA)
Minnesota should be set at DT in 2026 and beyond, employing Jalen Redmond, Caleb Banks, Domonique Orange and others. Yet, Murphy would have changed the Vikings’ defensive front.
Seattle selected him 16th overall, and after a quiet rookie year, he broke out with seven sacks in 2025 before adding two more in the Seahawks’ Super Bowl win. Minnesota eventually invested heavily in defensive tackle anyway, which makes the what-if more interesting.
Passing on quarterback at No. 10 would have been radical, but landing an interior disruptor with Murphy’s trajectory would look sensible two years later.
3. Jared Verse | OLB (CLE)
Were the Vikings destined to draft two EDGE rushers on April 25, 2024 – – Dallas Turner and Jared Verse? No, probably not. It’s not very realistic.
But the fact remains that Verse is a better football player than McCarthy through two seasons, and if Verse + Turner lived on Minnesota’s depth chart at this very moment, no fan would be upset.
Verse was available until pick No. 19 and became the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year with the Rams. He followed that with 7.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in 2025 before landing in Cleveland in the Myles Garrett trade.
Minnesota drafted Turner at No. 17, so Verse would have filled a need the Vikings clearly valued. The revisionist case is simple: take Verse earlier and secure an impact defender. Verse and Turner would cook together.
2. Quinyon Mitchell | CB (PHI)
No. 10 was probably too high to pick Mitchell at the time, but this exercise is about revisionist history.
A cornerback room consisting of Mitchell, Byron Murphy Jr., Charles Demmings, and James Pierre would be delightful right now. The Vikings probably would not have signed Isaiah Rodgers in 2025 if Mitchell had been the selection in Round 1 of 2024.
Philadelphia grabbed him 22nd overall, and he immediately became a full-time starter, recording 29 passes defensed across his first two regular seasons while emerging as one of the league’s premier young corners.
The Vikings have spent years searching for answers at the same position. Choosing Mitchell at No. 10 would have looked aggressive that night, but his development has made the hypothetical difficult to regret.
Mitchell was a Top 20 cornerback last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He earned Pro Bowl and 1st-Team All-Pro honors in 2024 and fired up a 63.7 passer rating allowed. The man is the real deal.
1. Brock Bowers | TE (LV)
This is the one.
Given what is now known about Vikings football in 2024 and 2025, Minnesota should’ve kept Sam Darnold and used the 10th overall pick on Brock Bowers.
Bowers would have been the luxury pick, especially with T.J. Hockenson already on the roster, but talent changes roster logic pretty damn quick. Las Vegas selected him 13th overall, and Bowers responded with 112 catches for 1,194 yards as a rookie, then made another Pro Bowl despite missing five games in 2025.
Pairing Bowers with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison would have given Kevin O’Connell an absurd collection of weaponry.
What could have been.
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VikesNow Verdict: McCarthy still has time to rescue his Vikings career, but hindsight has created some sobering alternatives. Nix, Murphy, Verse, Mitchell, and especially Bowers have already shown why Minnesota’s 2024 decision will remain questionable for years.
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