The lights will be bright on the Minnesota Vikings and former Michigan standout J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy found plenty of success at Michigan, helping the team win a National Championship.

However, some continue to question just how good he was at Michigan, mainly because of how elite the Wolverines were at running the football. 

Ultimately, it isn’t McCarthy’s fault that Michigan was well coached, had an above-average defense, and was able to make plays without him having to do everything on the field. That might be different in the NFL with the Vikings, which could lead to some issues, however. 

Could Vikings land Arch Manning?

If those issues arise, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report believes there’s an easy solution. He linked the team to drafting Arch Manning during the 2026 NFL Draft, noting that Archie Manning finished his career in Minnesota. 

“Archie Manning may be most closely associated with his time as a member of the New Orleans Saints, but his 14-year career ended with the Minnesota Vikings…

“The franchise is wholly invested in J.J. McCarthy as its starting QB after spending the 10th overall pick in last year’s draft to acquire him. However, everyone must remember the Michigan product has yet to do anything to warrant such status,” he wrote.

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It seems like many are counting out McCarthy before he even plays a real snap in the NFL. 

As a rookie this year, after dealing with a knee injury last season, McCarthy will have to prove that he was as good as he was before the injury. 

However, if that’s the case, there wouldn’t be much of a reason to consider drafting Manning, unless they believe that he has the potential to be that good one day.