Gross Bombs: NFL Props for Week 16
Josh Gross
With the NFL Draft right around the corner, FTN is taking a moment to look at each division one at a time. We’re going team-by-team to identify biggest needs and moves the franchises should be looking at before or during the draft, which starts April 28.
Today we visit the NFC North, which has been dominated by one QB in particular — Aaron Rodgers. (Though the division also watched one of its former QBs leave and win the Super Bowl in Matthew Stafford.) But Rodgers lost his primary target in Davante Adams, which may be enough to make the division interesting again.
Follow along with our whole 2022 NFL Draft Wish List series:
2022 NFL Draft Wish List: NFC North
Below we’ll take a quick look at each team, their pick haul, and their key needs to address in the draft.
Green Bay Packers
- First Pick: First round, 22nd overall
- Total first-rounders: 2 (1.22 and 1.28)
- Total draft picks: 11
Rodgers played a game of chicken with the Packers and eventually decided to come back with a mega $151 million deal. All seemed like it would be normal in Green Bay. But then Davante Adams — who has caught 432 yards for 5,310 yards and 47 TDs in the last four years, and who has scored double-digit TDs in five of six years — decided to skip town and go to Las Vegas. The team also lost offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Suddenly, the predictable Packers are no longer.
Green Bay’s biggest need (and No. 1 on the fantasy wish list) is very obviously at WR. A strong TE wouldn’t hurt, either. The Pack have two first-rounders, and it would be a genuine surprise to see them walk away without a WR. The only question is whether all of the top prospects will be gone by the time they are on the clock at 22nd overall. Could we see Treylon Burks or Chris Olave fall to the Packers? Or George Pickens? Or Drake London? Perhaps Jahan Dotson? There are enough WRs with possible first-round grades that at least one solid prospect should still be there. Seeing the Packers land Trey McBride a little later in the draft would be nice, too. The Packers may even consider doubling up on WR.
Minnesota Vikings
- First Pick: First round, 12th overall
- Total first-rounders: 1 (1.12)
- Total draft picks: 8
The Vikings do not appear set to be all that different from 2021, which isn’t great news. Fantasy-relevant help would include a better OL, a WR to complement Justin Jefferson as Adam Thielen goes over the hill, and a TE to provide depth behind the talented-but-hurt Irv Smith. The problem (for fantasy) is that the Vikings need more help on defense, which means they are likely to draft a defender at 12th overall.
So for fantasy purposes, that means we have to look at some of the deeper prospects that pique our interest. Adding Skyy Moore in the second round could give the Vikings a speedster in the slot to pair with Jefferson. Or maybe the team surprises and takes a QB like Matt Corral or Carson Strong (remember, Kirk Cousins only signed a one-year extension).
Chicago Bears
- First Pick: Second round, 39th overall
- Total first-rounders: None
- Total draft picks: 6
The Bears enter 2022 with the potential to look like an entirely new team. Justin Fields is set to be the starter for the entire year, ushering in a new era for Chicago. The team could use OL help to protect their young signal-caller. They also need major help at WR, as they have one of the weakest overall WR corps in the NFL after losing Allen Robinson to free agency (not that Robinson produced for the Bears last year anyway).
The Bears don’t pick until early in the second round, but there are plenty of WRs who may still be on the board there: Christian Watson, George Pickens. Jahan Dotson, Jalen Tolbert. If the Bears want to give Fields the best chance to succeed in his young career, they need to get him help. It would be a travesty if they don’t draft at least one WR.
Detroit Lions
- First Pick: First round, second overall)
- Total first-rounders: 2 (1.02 and 1.32)
- Total draft picks: 9
The Lions have a potential feel-good-team air about them, but the list of where they need help is long. The team added D.J. Chark this offseason and re-signed Josh Reynolds, but the WR room is still one of the weakest in the league. And despite all of the excitement at QB during the offseason, Detroit was dead silent, appearing content with Jared Goff — for now at least. The Lions hold the No. 2 overall pick, but there doesn’t appear to be a QB worth taking that high this year (it feels like it would be a guarantee the Lions would pick a QB if this class had more talented options).
If you want to maximize fantasy potential from Detroit’s draft, the move you should be rooting for would be for Detroit to trade back. As noted above, there’s not a QB worth taking No. 2 overall, nor is there a WR who will come off the board so early. And while the Lions technically have two first-rounders, the second one is the round’s final pick. (The Lions also pick at 34th overall, the second pick of the second round). They appear most likely to take a QB or WR at either No. 32 or No. 34 overall (or both). All of the WRs mentioned above (Christian Watson, George Pickens. Jahan Dotson, Jalen Tolbert, Skyy Moore, George Pickens, Drake London, Jahan Dotson) are names to monitor, as any of them could land on the Lions.
