OTAs and minicamp are over, and we are now in the dark period of the NFL calendar before training camp. The 2019 NFL Draft has come and gone, and now it’s time to get in to the picks. I dig in to the selections and analyze if the team made the right picks, addressed their needs, ignored their needs, reached for a player, etc. I get in to all that and much more in this series. Let’s continue with the NFC North.
Chicago Bears
Selections: Round 3: RB David Montgomery; Round 4: WR Riley Ridley; Round 6: CB Duke Shelley; Round 7: RB Kerrith Whyte, CB Stephen Denmark
Traded first-round pick for OLB Khalil Mack
Traded second-round pick to trade up for WR Anthony Miller
Analysis: The Bears only made five picks in the draft, tied for the fewest of 2019, and focused primarily on the offense. After trading their first rounder to Oakland for Khalil Mack (worth it) and a second to trade up for Anthony Miller, the Bears didn’t have a pick til the third round. With the 73rd pick, the Bears selected running back David Montgomery. Your typical workhorse back, Montgomery can be an every down player who does everything well: running in between the tackles, doesn’t fumble, good instincts, solid blitz pickup, and precise route runner. He lacks burst and speed, but that’s Tarik Cohen’s specialty, and the two backs figure to compliment each other well. After watching some of his highlights, I see a lot of Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley in Montgomery, not bad comparisons. The Bears signed Mike Davis in free agency, then traded Jordan Howard to the Eagles, so there’s been recent movement at the position, so that leads me to believe that the depth chart is wide open and Montgomery has a chance to be the starter. Keep an eye on this guy in fantasy, as I see him as a big sleeper and could be a rookie of the year candidate.
The Bears’ next pick was Georgia receiver Riley Ridley, brother of Calvin Ridley of the Falcons. The Bears have a crowded receiving room with Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, and Taylor Gabriel atop the depth chart, however Ridley has a chance to develop in the bottom of the lineup, and hopefully climb his way up the chart.
Conclusion: While the Bears only made five selections in the draft, they did use the picks they were given wisely. The traded their first rounder for an absolute game changing menace on defense and their second for a young receiver. With their first pick, and really only meaningful pick, they got a potential starting running back. You could say this was their only hole on the roster, and you could be right. There wasn’t much focus on the defense because it is stacked from top to bottom. They lost some pieces in the secondary in Adrian Amos and Bryce Callahan, but replaced them in free agency with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Buster Skrine.
The Bears draft itself was underwhelming, but I really do love the David Montgomery pick. I believe he is the final piece of the puzzle on offense, and now it’s up to Mitchell Trubisky to bring this team to the promised land. The defense is the best in the NFL, and the offense needs to be good. They have all the pieces to be a championship team, can they finally pull it all together?
Detroit Lions
Selections: Round 1: TE T.J. Hockenson; Round 2: LB Jahlani Tavai; Round 3: S Will Harris; Round 4: DE Austin Bryant; Round 5: CB Amani Oruwariye; Round 6: WR Travis Fulgham, RB Ty Johnson; Round 7: TE Isaac Nauta, DE P.J. Johnson
Analysis: The Lions have been one of the most boring teams in the NFL for the past decade, and no matter what they do, it always seems to have negative feedback. Entering the second year of the Matt Patricia era, the Lions are looking to spice things up in a way that seems all to familiar to Lions fans. Detroit drafted the best tight end in the draft, Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson. The most complete tight end in the draft has the potential to be the next great tight end and possibly the second coming of Gronk. This is familiar to Lions fans as the team took Eric Ebron top 10 in 2014 and never worked out. Hockenson looks like the real deal, and fans should be very excited.
The Lions took one of the best players available in Hockenson at No. 8, however the Lions have needs basically everywhere. Every position could use an upgrade, and they got a bit of everything, with seven different positions being selected with their nine picks. It’s hard to pinpoint what their highest position of need is, but I will say their top three picks were top positions of need. I don’t know too much about the players selected in Jahlani Tavai and Will Harris, but they were both projected in the fourth-sixth rounds, so we’ll see if these guys were reaches.
Conclusion: The Lions needed to have a good draft in order to stay afloat, and I really can’t put a finger on the quality of their draft. Some of these picks look like a reach, but time will tell on these selections. Hockenson looks like the real deal and could be one of the best tight ends in the game, if properly coached. Everything comes down to how well Matt Patricia can coach his team, and whether or not the players will actually buy in to his Patriot-like style.
Green Bay Packers
Selections: Round 1: DE Rashan Gary, S Darnell Savage Jr.; Round 2: C/G Elgton Jenkins; Round 3: TE Jace Sternberger; Round 5: DT Kingsley Keke; Round 6: CB Ka’dar Hollman, RB Dexter Williams; Round 7: LB Ty Summers
Analysis: The Packers were atypically active in free agency this offseason, and had a decent draft to follow it up. After parting ways with franchise staple Clay Matthews and Nick Perry, the Packers signed pass rushers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith. To add to that rebuilt defensive line, the Packers drafted Rashan Gary with their first pick. Gary is a bit raw, but has a ton of upside, and was drafted more on potential than production.
Later in the first round, the Packers traded back in with the Seahawks and took a safety I never actually heard of during the pre-draft process, Darnell Savage. The Packers have invested a ton of draft capital in the secondary in recent years, and I’m surprised they took another as I saw they had needs elsewhere. With RT Bryan Bulaga a free agent after this year, I thought they’d take a tackle with the 21st pick, but they went with a safety.
They didn’t completely ignore the offensive line, as the Packers took interior lineman Elgton Jenkins. They signed Billy Turner in the offseason to start at right guard, and they also have Lane Taylor and Corey Linsley under contract for two more years, so it’ll be a while until Jenkins could find his way into the starting lineup.
I’m a fan of the Jace Sternberger pick in the third round. Jimmy Graham is the highest-paid tight end, and has been anything but. The Packers needed to give Aaron Rodgers a new weapon after losing Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, and Sternberger will be a great addition to that offense.
Conclusion: The Packers did pretty well in the draft, but I feel they should have done things a bit differently. When they traded back in to the first round, I thought it’d be for a tackle with Andre Dillard, Tytus Howard, and Jawaan Taylor still on the board, yet they went with another defensive back. I mentioned they’ve invested a lot of draft capital in the secondary in recent years, so let me break that down: CB Jaire Alexander (1st-2018), CB Josh Jackson (2nd-2018), CB Kevin King (2nd-2017), S Josh Jones (2nd-2017). Plus they gave big money to Adrian Amos this offseason, so the Packers have really been retooling that secondary, and if it can stay healthy, it could be really good as I have high hopes for Alexander especially. The Packers need to have a good offensive line with Aaron Rodgers style of play, and 30-year-old Bryan Bulaga is in a contract year and has not been healthy the past few years, and the team should be looking to life without the 10-year vet.
The Packers have been a disappointment the past few seasons and have been the subject of several offseason storylines. Under new head coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers will look to turn things around and prove to be the dominant franchise they’re supposed to be.
Minnesota Vikings
Selections: Round 1: C Garrett Bradbury; Round 2: TE Irv Smith Jr.; Round 3: RB Alexander Mattison; Round 4: G Dru Samia; Round 5: LB Cameron Smith; Round 6: DT Armon Watts, S Marcus Epps, OT Oli Udoh; Round 7: CB Kris Boyd, WR Dillon Mitchell, WR Olabisi Johnson, LS Austin Cutting
Analysis: Offense, offense, and more offense. That was the strategy of the Vikings in the 2019 draft. The defense is one of the best in the league filled with homegrown talent, and what limited the Vikings last year was the offensive production. Kirk Cousins under-performed his fully guaranteed contract and was a massive disappointment. The offensive line was one of the worst in 2018, and will have a new look starting on the interior with their first round pick, center Garrett Bradbury. Bradbury was the most polished offensive lineman in the draft and will slot right in at center with Pat Elflein kicking out to left guard. They also signed Josh Kline this offseason to play right guard after parting ways with Mike Remmers. The Vikings also took a guard in the fourth and a tackle in the sixth, so offensive line was on their mind, rightfully so.
With a new look offensive line for Cousins, the Vikings also gave him some new offensive playmakers. In the second round, Minnesota took Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. Kyle Rudolph was the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason, and this selection definitely contributed to that, but the Vikings gave Rudolph an extension this offseason, so they must view him and Smith as a 1-2 punch at the position, which will give their offense a new look. They also took running back Alexander Mattison in the third round. Dalvin Cook is the clear starter, and has the talent to be one of the best backs in the league, but injuries have hampered his first two seasons, but when he’s healthy, he’s elite. Mattison will be a great backup to Cook, and I have a feeling he’ll be called upon throughout the season to give Cook a breather and not overwork the oft-injured back.
Conclusion: The Vikings had a roster with few holes, and a strong draft like this one should make them complete. The offensive line was the clear-cut top need for them, and they did a good job of addressing it in the draft. The defense has most of it’s starters under contract for several years, and it’s star offensive playmakers are locked up longterm as well. It’s playoffs or bust for the Minnesota Vikings, there’s no reason for them not to succeed. They control the destiny of the NFC North.
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