Despite having a very good roster, the Minnesota Vikings are in a tough spot heading into 2026. They’re weak at one very crucial position, and this TWSN Vikings mock draft gives them a possible solution.
If there’s one position you want to nail down, it’s quarterback. The Vikings haven’t been able to do that after parting ways with Sam Darnold in favor of J.J. McCarthy.
Here’s what we had to say in our last Vikings mock draft about McCarthy.
“Right now, J.J. McCarthy is simply not playing well…To be fair, McCarthy played his first-ever NFL season this past year, but he was drafted back in 2024 with pick No. 10. For some extra context, McCarthy missed his entire rookie year with a meniscus tear, and he was banged up as a sophomore as well.”
That should set the scene, but despite their investment into McCarthy, the last thing you want is to fall into the sunk cost fallacy.
For that reason, this mock draft had the Vikings taking a bit of a neutral approach. They weren’t necessarily aggressive, but at the same time, they showed the clock is ticking for McCarthy.
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Minnesota Vikings NFL Mock Draft: Drafting Carson Beck
In a quarterback class that isn’t great, it just wouldn’t make sense for the Vikings to go with a quarterback at pick No. 18. Instead, we had them target that middle group of quarterback prospects.
That meant using pick No. 82 on Carson Beck. In this class, Beck is viewed as the QB4 by NFL Mock Draft Database (consensus big board).
Even though Beck has a rank of consensus 117, he has a wide range of outcomes given the need for quarterbacks. Beck isn’t close to Garrett Nussmeier (72) at QB3, but he’s also far ahead of Sawyer Robertson (147), who’s the QB5.
Beck could be available with pick No. 97, and if the Vikings don’t love him as a prospect, that’s where they would likely take him. If they’re very committed to the plan of adding Beck to the mix, it seems logical to grab him at 82.
Why Does Carson Beck Fit With the Minnesota Vikings?
Here’s one more quote from that Vikings mock draft that really encapsulates who Beck is as a player.
“With Beck, he plays very well without pressure, and when things are going right for him.”
The Vikings are a good enough team to where this may be all Beck has to do in 2026.
McCarthy has a higher ceiling than Beck, and it’s tough to argue otherwise. The problem is the lack of consistency.
There were times this past year when McCarthy was making incredible plays, but what he really needs to do is feed the weapons in this offense. That’s something that he didn’t do a very good job of last year.
There’s no reason why Justin Jefferson should ever finish with only 1,048 yards while playing in 17 games. For reference, every year that Jefferson has played over 10 games, he’s had at least 1,400 yards.
If McCarthy disappoints again in 2026, Minnesota needs a backup plan, and Beck is a good one for now.
Beck projects out as a long-term backup at the very least, and it should allow the Minnesota Vikings to comfortably move on from McCarthy if that time comes.
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