4 Rookie quarterbacks in a worse situations than Michael Penix Jr.

4. J.J. McCarthy

The only pick perhaps as bad as the selection of Bo Nix by Denver is the Vikings reaching for J.J. McCarthy. Despite what a certain Chargers Head Coach might say the team is not getting a quarterback that is going to be a difference maker for a team that lost Kirk Cousins.

Their response has been to draft J.J. and go out and sign Sam Darnold. It isn't hard to see the concerns with a prospect that the team rarely used as their primary weapon. The run game was what carried Michigan to their championship run.

The best case here for the Vikings is that J.J. proves to be a capable point guard and is able to keep the defense honest in his rookie season. The more likely outcome is Sam Darnold is starting the majority of the season with the Vikings realizing just how badly they reached at the position.

McCarthy is easy to like and carries himself just as you want a franchise leader to. However, none of this covers up the fact that he should have been a day two pick as a backup quarterback and not looked to as a potential franchise option. The Vikings have set themselves up for failure.