How J.J. McCarthy's preseason debut stacks up against other rookie QBs, past Vikings

McCarthy impressed with a solid performance on Saturday. How does it stack up?

Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) looks to pass during the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports / Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

J.J. McCarthy's stellar preseason debut Saturday left many Vikings fans giddy about the future. National pundits were impressed by McCarthy's strong performance too, with NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah the most recent analyst to praise the performance. "All good signs," Jeremiah tweeted. "Impressive debut."

JJ McCarthy-Live arm, tough & athletic. He's learning what he can/can't get away with as passer. All good signs. Impressive debut.

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) August 12, 2024

How does it compare to recent preseason debuts? Well, let's compare McCarthy's day to recent Vikings rookies as well as recent first round QB selections across the league.

For reference, McCarthy went 11 of 17 for 188 yards, throwing two touchdowns and one interception on 30 total snaps. PFF gave the Vikings rookie an 84.0 passing grade.

Here are other Vikings rookie QBs and their August debuts in the last 15 years... (you may have to scroll horizontally to view the entire table).

J.J. McCarthy v Raiders, 2024 (30 snaps)	11/17	188 yards	2 TDs	1 Int	84.0 passing grade
Jaren Hall @ Seahawks, 2023 (27 snaps)	6/14	37 yards	0 TDs	0 Int	48.3 passing grade
Kellen Mond v Broncos, 2021 (46 snaps)	6/16	53 yards	0 TDs	0 Int	53.5 passing grade
Teddy Bridgewater v Raiders, 2014 (37 snaps)	6/13	49 yards	0 TDs	0 Int	48.2 passing grade
Christian Ponder @ Titans, 2011	8/13	84 yards	0 TDs	0 Int	N/A

McCarthy's debut easily stands out among Vikings rookie QBs of recent memory. What about against first-round QB selections from the four previous draft classes?

J.J. McCarthy v Raiders, 2024 (30 snaps)	11/17	188 yards	2 TDs	1 Int	84.0 passing grade
Bryce Young v Jets, 2023 (11 snaps)	4/6	21 yards	0 TDs	0 Int	50.8 passing grade
C.J. Stroud @ Patriots, 2023 (12 snaps)	2/4	13 yards	0 TDs	1 Int	34.3 passing grade
Anthony Richardson @ Bills, 2023 (29 snaps)	7/12	67 yards	0 TDs	1 Int	66.7 passing grade
Kenny Pickett v Seahawks, 2022 (32 snaps)	13/15	95 yards	2 TDs	0 Int	63.9 passing grade
Trevor Lawrence v Browns, 2021 (15 snaps)	6/9	71 yards	0 TDs	0 Int	58.5 passing grade
Zach Wilson @ Giants, 2021 (22 snaps)	6/9	63 yards	0 TDs	0 Int	78.8 passing grade
Trey Lance v Chiefs, 2021 (29 snaps)	5/14	128 yards	1 TD	0 Int	49.0 passing grade
Justin Fields v Dolphins, 2021 (33 snaps)	14/20	142 yards	1 TD	0 Int	70.0 passing grade
Mac Jones v Commanders, 2021 (33 snaps)	13/19	87 yards	0 TDs	0 Int	82.0 passing grade

Once again, McCarthy comes out with having probably the most impressive debut among recent first round quarterback picks. However, as Justin Fields and Mac Jones illustrate, having a good preseason debut doesn't signal a successful career. C.J. Stroud had the quietest debut on the table above, yet he won rookie of the year last season and led the Texans to the playoffs.

McCarthy's debut also compares pretty favorably against the five other first-round QBs from this year's draft, although every single one showed some flashes.

J.J. McCarthy v Raiders (30 snaps)	11/17	188 yards	2 TDs	1 Int	84.0 passing grade
Caleb Williams @ Bills (20 snaps)	4/7	95 yards	0 TDs	0 Int	69.3 passing grade
Jayden Daniels @ Jets (11 snaps)	2/3	45 yards	0 TDs	0 Int	80.1 passing grade
Drake Maye v Panthers (6 snaps)	2/3	19 yards	0 TDs	0 Int	56.2 passing grade
Michael Penix Jr. @ Dolphins (24 snaps)	9/16	104 yards	0 TDs	0 Int	62.6 passing grade
Bo Nix @ Colts (39 snaps)	15/21	131 yards	1 TD	0 Int	67.6 passing grade

How McCarthy builds off the performance will be more telling. Minnesota will host their annual night practice Monday night before heading to Cleveland for a couple joint practices with the Browns. Minnesota and Cleveland will face each other in their second preseason game Saturday, with kick off set for 3:25 p.m. CT.

Related: Kevin O'Connell raves about J.J. McCarthy's preseason debut

Every dropback from J.J. McCarthy's #Vikings preseason debut today. 11 of 17, 188 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 18 rushing yards. pic.twitter.com/unJUge9xIG

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 11, 2024