EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings made two moves in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night, jumping one spot to No. 10 for Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy to ensure they don’t miss their worst moment. need and jumping six spots to No. 17 for Alabama running back Dallas Turner.

“I always talk about minimizing regret,” Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said. “Obviously, I’m a spreadsheet guy too, but sometimes you have to get out of there, take off your Clark Kent glasses and just have a championship mentality and swing for a great player.”

The departure of veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​in free agency to Atlanta left a void and an opportunity that Vikings leadership has been strategizing about for more than two years.

“Every quarterback in the class I interacted with wanted to go to Minnesota,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy went 27-1 as a starter on a defense-driven, run-first team, raising questions about the 6-foot-2, 219-pound quarterback’s potential. He set the program record with a 72.3% completion percentage.

Adofo-Mensah acknowledged that more projection was needed with McCarthy than with the others in this class. In a recent video conference, Adofo-Mensah said, McCarthy asked him directly if there was any reason the Vikings wouldn’t draft him. Adofo-Mensah had nothing.

After Caleb Williams (Southern California) went to Chicago, Jayden Daniels (LSU) went to Washington and Drake Maye (North Carolina) followed New England with the first three picks, the Falcons surprised the league by selecting Michael Penix Jr. (Washington). with the eighth overall pick despite the presence of Cousins ​​with a $180 million contract.

That put the Vikings in danger of having a quarterback-seeking team like Denver or Las Vegas pass them by, so they made the trade with the New York Jets to ensure they got McCarthy. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said he felt “a variety of emotions” as the draft unfolded.

“We knew we weren’t the only ones who had identified him as the quarterback we wanted to draft,” O’Connell said. “You start thinking about what if.”

The Vikings sent fourth- and fifth-round picks (Nos. 129 and 157) to the Jets for a sixth-round pick (No. 203) to complete the deal.

“That’s where I wanted to go. That’s where she had her heart set. I’m very happy for him,” said Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, who led McCarthy and the Wolverines to the national championship last season. “I love him like a son. He was praying and trying hard for everything to go the way he wanted, and the stars aligned.”

The Vikings had been aiming for this day since Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell joined forces two years ago, with a big rookie class at the position and the team at a crossroads after a record-breaking NFC North title. 13-4 in his debut in 2022 and a 7-10 finish in 2023.

The highest pick the Vikings had previously selected on a quarterback was Daunte Culpepper at No. 11 in 1999. They have used a first-round pick on a quarterback only four other times in the Vikings’ 63-year history. the franchise, with Teddy Bridgewater (No. 32). ) in 2014, Christian Ponder (No. 12) in 2011 and Tommy Kramer (No. 27) in 1977, the others.

With O’Connell, a former NFL quarterback who coached two of the best seasons Cousins ​​has had in 12 years in the league, calling the plays on the sideline and superstar receiver Justin Jefferson leading a talented offense at Around him, the Vikings have a favorable environment for the 21-year-old McCarthy. They signed Sam Darnold, the Jets’ third overall pick in 2018, to close the gap and reduce pressure on the rookie to develop quickly.

McCarthy was widely viewed as the most pro-ready of all the prospects, thanks to his combination of leadership, intelligence and toughness. Still, there’s no guarantee the Vikings have the right guy, given that the track record of success for first-round quarterbacks throughout the NFL is essentially a coin flip proposition.

The Vikings added the 23rd pick in a recent trade with Houston for their second-round picks this year and next. They don’t own any Day 2 picks, minimizing their opportunity to add starting-caliber players and increasing the pressure to hit a home run in the first round. With offense accounting for the first 14 picks, the Vikings were in position to add a top-notch player to the defense.

Once defenders began to fall off the board, the Vikings struck a deal with Jacksonville by sending their fifth-round picks (No. 167) and third- and fourth-round picks in 2025 to move up from No. 23. Turner was a first. Associated Press All-American team who tied for eighth in the FBS with 10 sacks last season.

After letting Danielle Hunter, DJ Wonnum and Marcus Davenport leave in free agency, the Vikings signed Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel before adding Turner in this quick replenishment.

Turner was the second runner sacked. The Jaguars indicated they had an offer from another team for the 17th spot, forcing the Vikings to increase their offer. But they viewed Turner as one of the few defensive outliers in this draft. He was widely viewed as one of the steals of the first round.

Turner said he was surprised to last this long, but only to a point in a first round with 23 offensive players selected.

“The game is changing,” he said. “Teams need what they need, so you have to wait for it.”

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