The 2020 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 also talk about any moves that have been made since free agency. I get in to all that and much more in this series. Let’s continue with the NFC North.
Chicago Bears
Selections:
Round 2: TE Cole Kmet, CB Jaylon Johnson
Round 5: LB Trevis Gipson, CB Kindle Vildor, WR Darnell Mooney
Round 7: G Arlington Hambright, OT Lachavious Simmons
Analysis: Another year, another underwhelming Bears draft. Still in a pick drought from the Khalil Mack trade, they were without a first-round selection, but did gain a second out of the trade. With their first second round selection, the Bears took a laughable pick in tight end Cole Kmet, giving them at the time 10 tight ends on the roster. Kmet was undoubtedly the top tight end in the draft, and this is an appropriate slot to take him at, but you just paid an old mediocre Jimmy Graham decent money and have other needs on the roster, but if their mentality was take the best player available, then good job. Kmet will likely be the No. 2, and eventually the No. 1 tight end, and could turn into a good player, but read the room a little bit. They also hadn’t had good luck with a second round tight end in Adam Shaheen, who only has 27 games and 249 yards under his belt in his three-year career.
Their second second-round selection was a very smart one, drafting cornerback Jaylon Johnson. He was the first corner selected in the second round, and was projected as a potential first-rounder, so I love this pick for the Bears. They also have a major need at corner, after cutting Prince Amukamara, and are looking for a new outside corner opposite Kyle Fuller and nickel Buster Skrine. Johnson will likely be competing against with former Steeler Artie Burns, Tre Roberson, and Sherrick McMannis.
The rest of the picks are just late-round depth picks, but just want to say, the two seventh-round offensive lineman have legendary names.
Conclusion: While this was a very underwhelming draft class, the two notable players they got are solid and could be immediate impact players. As for the rest of the roster, its not that bad. There’s a lot of competitions on this roster, and I love that, shame that we’re in a pandemic and can’t fully see these battles play out, most notably at quarterback. I don’t have the slightest clue who will be the starter, Foles or Trubisky. Foles is a reliable veteran, but often flames out, and Trubisky has flashed but has ultimately been a disappointment. Love their running backs in David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen, despite Montgomery having a bit of an underwhelming rookie season after all the hype he received (mainly by me), but I put that on Matt Nagy, who I really don’t like and is very much on the hot seat. I love Allen Robinson, and hopefully Anthony Miller can stay healthy, but they need more guys to step up, whether that be free agent acquisition Ted Ginn, or young guys Riley Ridley and Javon Wims. The offensive line is sneaky not bad.
The defense is what led them to success in 2018, but was very disappointing in 2019. They still have Mack obviously, and the addition of Robert Quinn is massive. They’re also great on the inside with Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman. The linebackers are still very good with Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan. The secondary is what concerns me a little, but I like the moves they made this offseason with Johnson in the draft and signing Tashaun Gipson at safety. The still have their stars in Fuller and safety Eddie Jackson, so I think ultimately they’ll be fine.
Truthfully, if the Bears can figure out who their quarterback is, and he plays well, this will be a dangerous team.
Detroit Lions
Selections:
Round 1: CB Jeff Okudah
Round 2: RB D’Andre Swift
Round 3: OLB Julian Okwara, G Jonah Jackson
Round 4: G Logan Stenberg
Round 5: WR Quintez Cephus, RB Jason Huntley
Round 6: DT John Penisini
Round 7: DT Jashon Cornell
Analysis: I want to get excited about the Lions, but I know I can’t. They keep making solid moves, but there’s always something about the Lions that just doesn’t work. I can never figure it out, but that’s beside the point, let’s talk about this draft class. It’s not bad, it’s not great, but it’s a solid class. With the No. 3 pick, they had their pick of the litter, and got easily the top corner in the draft, Jeff Okudah out of Ohio State. We all know about how they traded their best defensive player in Darius Slay to the Eagles, and they desperately needed his replacement, in comes Okudah. He’ll likely start as the No. 1 corner, and hopefully be that for the foreseeable future. Their depth at corner is questionable, with former Falcons starter Desmond Trufant the other starter with Justin Coleman at nickel. Both very good players, but after them it’s really rough. Anyway, love the Okudah pick.
The next pick is interesting. At first I was not a fan, but thinking about it further, I love the pick. The Lions are known to be the worst team at running the ball, but they finally had promise last year with Kerryon Johnson before an injury limited him to only 8 games. I really like Johnson, but he hasn’t proven to stay healthy in his first two seasons. In today’s NFL, you need a second running back to spell your top guy, and form a dynamic duo to keep each other fresh and dominate on the ground. The Packers have it, the Vikings have it, and even the Bears have it. Best example is the Seahawks, who had a young guy in Chris Carson who played well as a rookie, but couldn’t stay healthy, then used a high draft pick on Rashaad Penny. Exact same situation here in Detroit, and Swift is an uber-talented back that will pair well with Johnson, and could very much take over as the lead back.
Just a quick thought on a couple other picks. Okwara is the young brother of Romeo Okwara, I love a good family coming together story. I really like the two guard selections, gives them depth and options to replace Graham Glasgow.
Conclusion: Pretty sure I said this last year, or maybe in the offseason analysis, that despite a strong draft by the Lions, I want to be excited about this team, but I wholeheartedly can’t be. They seem to get some hype every year, but they’re gonna do what they do best and disappoint. That’s just what they’ve done their entire existence.
That doesn’t mean this isn’t a talented roster, I love this roster and think they filled a lot of holes in the draft and free agency. They now have two talented running backs, a decent wide receiver core (Kenny Golladay is the next breakout superstar), and a nice young tight end. TBD on the offensive line, but I like the additions of Vaitai and the two draft picks and should have a decent line despite losing Glasgow.
The defense is solid up front, but is a toss up in the secondary. Love the Danny Shelton and Nick Williams additions with Da’Shawn Hand in the middle with Trey Flowers and the Okwaras coming off the edge. Kind of wish they did more here this offseason, but whatever. They’ve got two new starting linebackers in Jamie Collins and Reggie Ragland to join with Jarrad Davis and Jahlani Tavai to form a sneaky really good core. I already talked about the secondary and how different it looks. Their starters appear to be Okudah, Trufant and Coleman at corner and Duron Harmon and Tracy Walker at safety, only two returning guys.
Ya know, the Lions offseason wasn’t all that bad after all, except for losing your best defensive player, but still I liked it. Will they contend? Maybe. But I know not to get too excited because the Lions are gonna Lion, that’s just what they do.
Green Bay Packers
Selections:
Round 1: QB Jordan Love
Round 2: RB A.J. Dillon
Round 3: TE Josiah Deguara
Round 5: LB Kamal Martin
Round 6: G Jon Runyan, C Jake Hanson, G Simon Stepaniak
Round 7: FS Vernon Scott, DE Jonathan Garvin
Analysis: And here we are, the worst draft of 2020. I can’t believe the Packers screwed up this badly. They disappointed their fans and their starting quarterback. They literally went out of there way to piss off Aaron Rodgers with their first two picks. You are in a window with Rodgers, who is still playing at an elite level, and you have to surround him with talent in order for him to have success. That’s not a knock on Rodgers, it’s the same with every single quarterback. You can’t just give him mediocre weapons and expect success, no one is that good. Rodgers had the luxury of Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson, and Randall Cobb for a number of years. The latter two are gone, and Adams missed six games last year despite being a superstar. And when he went down, guys behind him didn’t step up. Where was Marquez Valdez-Scantling? Geronimo Allison? Allen Lazard did fine, but he’s not a top three depth chart guy. He’s a 15-20 snap a game type guy. You needed a receiver and you blew it.
Your number one need entering the draft was wide receiver, everyone and their mother could’ve told you Rodgers needs another weapon alongside Adams. And it’s not like they didn’t have talent picking at 30. Six receivers were already taken, but this was a very deep receiver class, and any other guy could’ve made sense. There actually wasn’t a receiver taken after their pick in the first round, but there were a couple taken atop the second. They could’ve gotten a guy like Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman, or Laviska Shenault and that would’ve made perfect sense. But they didn’t, they went with a quarterback with Rodgers still in his prime. And they didn’t just take a quarterback, THEY TRADED UP TO SELECT HIM. That’s literally the worst part of it. I can’t think of another team that would’ve selected Love ahead of them or would trade up. If they stayed pat and selected him at 30, I wouldn’t be as angry. But they gave up a fourth-rounder to move up four slots to take him, and they could’ve used that fourth to trade up in the second to take a receiver after selecting Love in the first, but we’ll get to that round later.
Let’s give some love to Jordan Love for a second, because this is not his fault, and he’s a talented player in a unique situation. I think he was appropriately drafted, slot-wise, as a late first-, early second-rounder. I honestly don’t know what other team would’ve drafted him this high, maybe the Colts, but all in all, this could eventually work out. People are rightfully comparing this situation to when Rodgers was drafted back in 2005 with Brett Favre as the starter. Rodgers took over in 2008 after three years on the bench, could the same happen to Love? We shall see.
Now let’s get to part two of why this is the worst draft class of 2020, the selection of running back A.J. Dillon in the second round. You have Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, two good running backs, who are already splitting carries, and adding another guy to that room. Jones is by far the superior back and wasn’t getting enough touches as it is, now with the addition of Dillon, that’s taking more carries away from him. I get that both Jones and Williams are in contract years, but Jones has proven to be the guy and deserves an extension. Williams will probably walk or even traded, because Dillon has to get some carries. From what I’ve read, Dillon is more of a power goal-line back, and not very versatile like Jones and Williams. I saw a video from PFF during their live coverage of the draft and they didn’t even have Dillon as a top 200 prospect. Make with that Packer fans as you will. Who knows, Dillon may not even touch the field if Jones and Williams stay healthy and play at high levels, which is lucky. I that’s why this pick stinks. Dillon may not even play as a rookie whereas a rookie receiver could get starter snaps.
Now to the main reason why trading up with the fourth-rounder was a terrible idea. They could’ve used that pick to move up in the second to take a receiver. Picking at 62, none of the second tier of receivers would’ve been available. They should’ve used that fourth, or maybe a fifth instead to move up and take a receiver and satisfy your fan base and more importantly, your franchise quarterback. You instead gave him a running back who may not see the field in 2020. Again, you blew it.
I guess to touch on the other picks real quick, they did take a tight end in the third round, but they took a third-round tight end last year in Jace Sternberger. I guess it’s nice to have options to replace Jimmy Graham. Good depth pick at linebacker in the fifth, and really nice depth picks with three offensive lineman in the sixth, important to build depth behind one of the better lines.
Conclusion: I really don’t need to say much more about how much I disliked this draft. They had a clear need at receiver and absolutely blew it. They pissed off the fan base and Rodgers. It’s almost like they went out of their way to do so. I saw a take that this was Matt LaFleur’s draft and his attempt to replace Rodgers. I’m not so sure about that. Rodgers has a very strong opinion and likes things a specific way, almost in a douchy way, and maybe LaFleur had enough of that with Rodgers trying to undermine him. Or maybe their relationship is really good and they have a good plan in place with this class. One thing I do know is: this lit a massive fire under Rodgers’ ass. He is one of the most competitive players I’ve ever seen. I compare this to the Patriots in 2014 when they selected Jimmy Garoppolo in the second round, which lit a fire under Tom Brady, and they won a Super Bowl. Could the same happen in Green Bay?
Minnesota Vikings
Selections:
Round 1: WR Justin Jefferson, CB Jeff Gladney
Round 2: OT Ezra Cleveland
Round 3: CB Cameron Dantzler
Round 4: DE D.J. Wonnum, DT James Lynch, LB Troy Dye
Round 5: CB Harrison Hand, WR K.J. Osborn
Round 6: OT Blake Brandel, S Josh Metellus
Round 7: DE Kenny Willekes, QB Nate Stanley, OLB Brian Cole, C Kyle Hinton
Analysis: I’m excited to break down this Vikings draft class. They went into the draft with 12 picks, and came away with 15 players, including 11 on Day 3. They got a wide array of players, a variety of positions for starters and building depth. They traded Stefon Diggs and got a first, fifth, and sixth round pick in 2020. With that first round pick, they selected Diggs’ replacement, Justin Jefferson out of LSU. Absolutely love this pick, and the Vikings have to be ecstatic that he was still there after the Eagles passed up on him in favor of Jalen Reagor the pick prior. He immediately slides in as the No. 2 to Adam Thielen.
After trading back with the 49ers while getting an additional fourth- and fifth-rounder, they selected cornerback Jeff Gladney out of TCU. They parted with longtime starters Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander in free agency, so they need to start rebuilding their secondary. I’ve always loved the Vikings team-building philosophy, invest heavy on the defense in the draft, develop them and give them second contracts. Unfortunately their window closed and time ran out on those contracts and couldn’t afford to keep their three starting corners, along with Everson Griffen (still a free agent) and Linval Joseph. Before this draft they already started preparing for this moment, drafting Mike Hughes in the first in 2018. He’s had injury issues in his young career, but he needs to step up as he’ll be a full-time starter in 2020, and Gladney will likely be thrown right into the starting mix along with Holton Hill. I also really like that they selected three more DBs, because this is a rebuilding secondary, and the more bodies you have, the bigger sample size you have to have the best starters emerge.
Their second round pick has some story lines behind it. The Vikings were reportedly in on a potential Trent Williams trade with the Redskins, but they quickly shot that down with the selection of Ezra Cleveland. The Vikings offensive line has been an interesting one in recent years. They’ve invested in significant draft capital in their starters, like 2019 first-round center Garrett Bradbury, 2018 second-round RT Brian O’Neill, and 2017 third-round G/C Pat Elflein. They also gave huge money to LT Riley Reiff back in 2017, who’ll be a free agent in 2022. If anything, I thought they’d go with a guard over a tackle since they have a vacancy at right guard and have been trying to upgrade over Elflein.
Conclusion: All in all, a very solid draft class for the Vikings, addressing major positions of need, and I also love the mentality of getting as many players as they can in an effort of rebuilding and replacing the talent they lost. Jefferson and Gladney will be thrust into starting roles while the others will likely start out as depth options, who could surprise and become starters.
It’s unfortunate the Vikings window closed. They had such a talented defense, one of the best over even, and they just couldn’t pull it off. Losing four starters on defense and a top receiver is rough, but they still have their core guys to do it. Kirk Cousins is fine, Dalvin Cook is elite (pay him) and Thielen is a great receiver when healthy. Love their tight ends in Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith Jr, and hopefully their offensive line can improve. They have some holes to fill on defense, but the addition of Michael Pierce in the middle of the defensive line helps replace Joseph. Danielle Hunter is an elite pass rusher, but they don’t have proven talent on the other side of him, but they seem to really like Ifeadi Odenigbo. They still have their elite linebackers in Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks, along with star safety Harrison Smith and breakout star Anthony Harris on the franchise tag. TBD on the cornerbacks, but with those two safeties leading the secondary, it can’t be all bad.
The Vikings may no longer be the powerhouse they once were, but the NFC North still looks like a fun division. Despite a poor draft class, the Packers are still primed to win the division. The Bears made some nice moves, but who’s their starting quarterback? And the Lions, who the hell knows. It may be a competitive division, it may not be. Either way, it’ll be a fun 2020 in the NFC North.
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