DETROIT — J.J. McCarthy grew up in Bears country.
Now he’ll face them twice a year.
The Vikings traded up with the Jets to take the Nazareth Academy alum with the 10th pick in Thursday night’s draft. McCarthy fills one of the most obvious needs in the NFL — the Vikings lost quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Falcons in free agency this offseason and replaced him with just veteran backup Sam Darnold.
McCarthy led Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park to the Class 7A state title as a sophomore and runner-up as a junior. He went to IMG Academy for his senior year because of uncertainty about the Illinois high school season because of the coronavirus.
He led Michigan to an undefeated national championship season before deciding to enter the draft early.
The Jets got a fourth-round pick and fifth-rounder to move back one spot.
The Vikings were prepared to make a deal once the Falcons shocked the league by drafting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah worried the Bears might trade their No. 9 pick to a quarterback-needy team — but they drafted receiver Rome Odunze instead.
“We were ready,” Adofo-Mensah told reporters in Minneapolis. “We knew at some point once the surprise happened we had to be ready. Had that teed up. You’re always sweating a little bit with that one pick. This business is about taking a little risk and getting a reward, and I think we got that in the end.”
Offense first
The 14 consecutive offensive players picked to start the draft was twice as long as the previous record on one side of the ball.
The Colts were the team to break the streak, taking UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu at No. 15. The Seahawks drafted Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, who had been linked to the Bears, with the next pick. The Vikings took Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner — who visited Halas Hall on the same day as Caleb Williams — at No. 17.
New deal for A.J.
Minutes before the draft began, Eagles receiver A.J. Brown agreed to a three-year, $96 million contract with a reported $84 million guaranteed. Brown ranked fifth in the NFL last season with 1,456 receiving yards and eighth with 106 catches.
This and that
Notre Dame tackle Joe Alt was picked fifth by the Chargers and new head coach Jim Harbaugh. He could play right tackle, as the Chargers have standout Northwestern alum Rashawn Slater on the left side.
• Thursday marked the eighth time in modern NFL history — and first since 2018 — that two Heisman Trophy winners were picked in the same draft. Williams and the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, the winners in 2022 and 2023, went No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.
• Former Bears cornerback Charles Tillman will announce the team’s third-round pick Friday.
