3 2027 QB Draft Prospects Suddenly on the Vikings' Radar After J.J. McCarthy Trade (Including CJ Carr)

With No. 9 in the rearview, it's time to focus on the road ahead.

Notre Dame's CJ Carr could be one of the QB prospects that the Vikings have their eye on after Monday's J.J. McCarthy trade. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lasting just over two years, the Minnesota Vikings finally saw enough and pulled the plug on the J.J. McCarthy experiment on Monday. The Vikings shipped the former 2024 first-round pick to the New York Giants less than a day after Sunday's victory in Tampa, receiving a 2027 fifth-round pick in return as the only compensation. Now, it's time to turn the page and move on.

A lot can be said about McCarthy's failed time in Minnesota, but his departure doesn't mean the Purple and Gold's future quarterback situation is solved.

Kyler Murray, who won the offseason QB competition, still has a lot to prove after failing to hit the 200-yard mark in his return to action over the weekend. He's also on an expiring contract. Carson Wentz also isn't a long-term option at 33 years old, and Max Brosmer's performance last season showed he isn't ready to lead the offense.

2027 NFL Draft could provide Vikings with a QB solution

If Murray isn't who the Vikings need him to be, all signs point to the 2027 NFL Draft being the next-best option for help. Even if the veteran QB finds a way to be solid for the rest of the year, he might only end up as a stopgap for what's to come.

Now that J.J. McCarthy is gone, it's time for the Vikings to start thinking about the 2027 NFL Draft and finding their next franchise QB. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Being undefeated means the Vikings are currently projected to pick at No. 31 in April, according to Tankathon. That said, these three quarterback prospects are worth being on their radar, even at the tail end of the first round.

1. CJ Carr, Notre Dame

Barring a major collapse that flips the draft order, the likes of Arch Manning and Dante Moore will likely be long gone by the time the Vikings make their first pick. Still, a late first-round selection could be more than good enough to add a promising signal-caller like CJ Carr to their roster.

The Notre Dame QB operated well as a full-time signal-caller in 2025, only to pick up where he left off this season. In four games, Carr has completed 70.5% of his passes for 963 passing yards and nine touchdowns with only one interception. His passing yards per game have increased from 228.4 to 240.8, playing a key role in the Fighting Irish's perfect start to the campaign.

Carr still has some flaws, such as needing to put on more weight to withstand the physicality of the NFL. But he has a solid foundation that head coach Kevin O'Connell & Co. can mould into their next franchise QB, and continuing his Heisman Trophy case will further support that point.

2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State

The 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Julian Sayin, showed plenty of reasons why he could be a potential draft target for the Vikings next spring. The 21-year-old QB prospect finished fourth in Heisman voting in 2025 as he completed 77.0% of passes—nearly breaking Bo Nix's NCAA record of 77.5%—for 3,610 yards, 32 TDs, and eight interceptions.

So, how has he followed it up? By pacing the Big Ten with a 72.2% completion rate and 301.5 passing yards per game through four appearances, of course. Sayin has also thrown 10 TDs with only one INT, with his best effort so far being a 367-yard, four-touchdown performance against Illinois on Saturday.

Ohio State QB Julian Sayin is one option the Vikings could consider drafting next year. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

According to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Ryan Flowler, the Vikings were one of the many teams in attendance for Ohio State's season opener earlier this month. Whether or not they were there for Sayin specifically, they certainly saw what he was capable of as he threw for 320 yards and three TDs in a 56-3 win over Ball State.

Sayin's unpredictable rise makes it a bit hard to predict where he'll fall in the draft, but if he's still available in the late-20s range, the Vikings could make him O'Connell's next QB project.

3. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota

The past has shown that the Vikings aren't afraid to bring in young local talent, either with a draft pick or after the annual event ends. Brosmer is one of the more recent examples of former Golden Gophers getting a shot at Purple and Gold, and it wouldn't be unfathomable to imagine Drake Lindsey as the next.

Lindsey has the size (6-foot-5, 230 lbs) and the arm strength to develop into an NFL QB one day. He didn't exactly blow anyone away in 2025, but he's already improved on most numbers from last year, including completion rate (66.7% vs. 63.2%), yards per completion (10.8 vs. 9.7), and passing yards per game (237.8 vs. 183.2). He's also thrown three TDs in his last two games after only doing so twice all of last year, with the second instance not happening until November.

Lindsey's draft projection is still malleable, as scouts need to see a lot more of him before projecting where he'll fall. He also still has more college eligibility remaining, meaning he might not declare for the 2027 draft if he doesn't feel it's the right time.

That said, assuming he enters the draft and keeps improving, Lindsey should remain on the Vikings' radar. Not only does he seemingly have the tools to eventually lead an NFL offense, but his local ties would also enhance the potential success story Minnesota would have on its hands.

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