The New Guys: NFC North

Before the season starts, I will try to give a preview of each team’s draft picks, and what role they will play on the team. I’ll start with the NFC North, the Black and Blue division, home of the Packers, Vikings, Lions, and Bears. This division is also the new home of a number of very interesting rookies, some of whom can be expected to have significant fantasy impact … some sooner, some later.

Minnesota Vikings

Troy Williamson (Round 1, WR, South Carolina): Minnesota chose the speedy Williamson instead of Mike Williams, a move that was criticized by some. However, Williamson can fly, running a sub 4.4 40-yard dash, and has displayed the ability to simply outrun his defenders. He works best on deep routes, and still has to work on his shorter routes. As of now, he is buried in Minnesota’s depth chart, but they drafted him for the future. He may not have too much value this year, but Daunte Culpepper will definitely look for him in four- and five-WR sets. Williamson will also be featured on special teams, most likely in kick return situations.

Erasmus James (Round 1, DE, Wisconsin): James is an extremely talented DE who had fallen slightly due to a hip injury that threatened to crush his NFL dream in 2003. In just 36 games with Wisconsin, he had 18 sacks and 124 tackles. He is extremely quick and deceptive, but he may need to bulk up slightly to be able to use both his speed and his strength against the better offensive linemen in the game. He probably will split time with Derrion Scott at DE for now, but he will eventually take over the starting spot barring any other setbacks.

Marcus Johnson (Round 2, OT, Mississippi): At 6′6″, 320 pounds, Johnson is a monster. He is wide and is extremely strong. He can simply overpower smaller defensive tackles, but he will have improve his balance and footwork before taking on the best at DT. According to NFL.com, he is currently listed behind Mike Rosenthal on the depth chart, but Johnson will see time at the position this year.

Dustin Fox (Round 3, CB, Ohio State): The Vikes picked up this consistent player out of Ohio State in the third round. He runs a 40-yard dash in just over 4.4 seconds and recorded over 200 solo tackles in his college career, so he has proven he can handle himself in 1-on-1 situations. He might have to adjust to the sheer physical nature of NFL receivers, but as veteran Darren Sharper’s heir-apparent, he will have time to learn the nuances of the position.

Ciatrick Fason (Round 4, RB, Florida): Some consider this the best pick of the Vikings’ draft. Fason only carried the ball 315 times at Florida, but he averaged six yards a carry and was able to demonstrate his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He is very strong, but is not especially fast. Fason is currently buried in Minnesota’s depth chart, but with Onterrio Smith’s suspension, Michael Bennett’s injury history, and Mike Tice’s antics, Fason could easily see time this year and become a valuable asset for the Vikings offense, not only in the future, but for this year as well.

CJ Mosley (Round 6, DT, Missouri): The coaches at Missouri raved about this guy throughout his career. He has all the size (although he is slightly small for the NFL), strength, and speed he needs to succeed. He recorded 15.5 sacks along with 167 tackles in 36 games with Missouri. However, he is a raw talent, an unpolished player who will need to be molded and coached to play effectively at this level. He is currently third on the depth chart at his position, and will most likely stay there for now barring injury to those above him.

Adrian Ward (Round 7, CB, UTEP): The reason this pick might be a steal: Ward is one of the best cover men in the draft. He is fluid in his movements and seems to know the play before it develops. The reason he fell to round seven: At 5′10″, 170 pounds, he lacks the strength to tackle both receivers and running backs. He will have trouble, especially in the NFL, developing the strength to do so. Also, at his size, he will have a tough time with the taller receivers in the league. He probably won’t see much time this year, since he is a project, but he has the cover skills to be a quality CB.

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers (Round 1, QB, California): Some wanted the Packers to go with defense here, but it’s tough to pass on someone who was once rumored to be the possible #1 pick of the draft while getting Brett Favre’s replacement in the process. Rodgers gained almost 6,000 total yards at California. There’s not much to say about his role for now: he will remain the back-up for a few years until Favre rides off into the sunset.

Nick Collins (Round 2, FS, Bethune-Cookman): Nick Collins is one of the faster players, if not the fastest, in the entire draft. He was clocked at a sub 4.4 40-yard dash at both the campus and the combine (4.34 and 4.37, respectively). He is able to cover in both man and zone coverage schemes. Collins seems to have a problem with solo and head-on tackling, preferring instead to hold the opposition while waits for his teammates to assist him. He is currently listed as the starting FS at NFL.com, but we will see when the season starts whether or not he will garner the bulk of the time or split time with another player.

Terrence Murphy (Round 2, WR, Texas A&M): Murphy had 2,600 yards and ten TDs in his Texas A&M career. He runs a 4.44 40, but he doesn’t run defined routes, choosing instead to try to beat his defenders with pure speed, which will not work as well in the NFL. He sits around the #4 or #5 WR slot as of now, but if Robert Ferguson is traded (to Philadelphia, possibly), then Murphy may suddenly begin to edge closer to the #3 slot. Murphy should see some special teams time as well, but the outcome of Ferguson’s situation will dictate how much time he sees there.

Marviel Underwood (Round 4, FS, San Diego St.): Underwood has some speed, but there is a great disagreement about just how fast he truly is. The school clocked him at 4.38, while he ran a considerably slower 4.65 at the combine. One of the few free safeties in the draft who is skilled in coverage (Underwood performs much better when covering deep routes) as well as run-stopping. His major weakness is reacting slowly to the developing play. According to CBS Sportsline, he sits behind Mark Roman and Earl Little at SS.

Brady Poppinga (Round 4, OLB, BYU): Poppinga originally started at DL, but switched to OLB during his senior year because of his size. He is actually quite quick and is still an adept pass-rusher from his days on the defensive line. Brady may have trouble with the more athletic blockers around the league, but he will have plenty of time to adjust with Na’il Diggs and Hannibal Navies mentoring him at the position.

Junius Coston (Round 5, C, North Carolina A&T): Coston hasn’t drawn much comment from the experts, but he started the last 41 games of his career on a team that was predominantly run-based, so he did take on a large workload. He may move to guard with the Packers, since mainstay Mike Flanagan is not going anywhere for now.

Michael Hawkins (Round 5, FS, Oklahoma): Hawkins played in Oklahoma for one year, and played in the AFL last year for Dallas. His height and speed allow him to be a quality CB, but he will need to add some pounds of muscle in order to fight for positioning with top-tier WRs. He may very well see time at right cornerback this year, where Green Bay is thin on experienced players. Hawkins will need to mature quickly, as he will probably see time behind Al Harris this year.

Mike Montgomery (Round 6, DT, Texas A&M): In his two years with Texas A&M, Montgomery recorded 121 tackles and six sacks. He is an above average tackler, but he won’t see much time early in his career as he sits behind KGB and R-Kal Truluck.

Craig Bragg (Round 6, WR, UCLA): Bragg runs a 4.45 40-yard dash, and he uses it to his advantage. He likes going deep early and often. Bragg is the only receiver to catch 50 balls twice during his career (including 12 touchdown catches of over 40 yards or more). He sits deep in the depth chart for now.

Kurt Campbell (Round 7, SS, Albany (NY)): Campbell has blazing speed, running nearly a 4.4 40-yard. And his other strengths include … well, that is about it. He is an average cover man, but the concern is the lower-tier competition he faced as well as his lack of ability to react to the run. He may make the move to OLB during his tenure with the Packers. Once he learns the system, he may see limited time.

William Whitticker (Round 7, G, Michigan St.): Whitticker is huge. Standing at 6′5″ and over 330 pounds, he is extremely powerful. He will struggle against quicker linemen, and he will need to improve his balance. For now, he will battle with Joseph Hayes for third string at RG.

Detroit Lions

Mike Williams (Round 1, WR, USC): Many disagreed with this pick, thinking the Lions should make more strides to rebuild their defense, but the fact is that Williams has loads of talent, and the Lions felt that the value he had was more important than the team’s defensive needs. He will start third (or possibly fourth) on the depth chart behind Roy Williams and Charles Rogers. Williams is tall and athletic, and Joey Harrington could look his way more often as the season progresses. Williams will have to develop a bit more , but he has all of the necessary skills to be a great receiver. Unfortunately, he is also an average blocker at best, but that is something that can be learned.

Shaun Cody (Round 2, DT, USC): The Lions picked up the heart and soul of the USC defense in Cody, one of the most consistent and steady players in the draft. He is solid in all aspects of the game. A torn ligament suffered in 2002 presented some concern, but he appears to have completely recovered from this injury. Incumbent veteran Shaun Rogers has himself entrenched at the top of the depth chart, but Cody is the future.

Stanley Wilson (Round 3, CB, Stanford): Wilson certainly has football in his blood. His father is fourth on Oklahoma’s all-time rushing list, and went on to play for the Cincinnati Bengals for six years. He already has the speed and acceleration to run with the NFL’s speediest players, as he starred on the track team and ran a 4.34 40-yard dash. However, Wilson will need to bulk up to compete with bigger, stronger receivers. He probably will be best utilized in nickel and dime back sets.

Dan Orlovsky (Round 5, QB, Connecticut): Orlovsky is a very talented QB out of Connecticut. He can face the rush, and is dead accurate on shorter throws. Orlovsky has a quality arm, but he needs to work on his long ball and his ability to check down to a running back after his primary options are taken away from him. All that said, he won’t see action anytime soon with Harrington and Jeff Garcia ahead of him.

Bill Swancutt (Round 6, DE, Oregon St.): Swancutt (264 pounds) seems to make up for his lack of size with sheer hustle. As a senior, he was fourth in the nation with 11.5 sacks, and his 18.5 tackles for a loss were good enough for seventh in the nation. He should start his career third on the depth chart, but he has already earned recognition as one of CBS Sportsline’s “out of nowhere” men.

Jonathan Goddard (Round 6, DE, Marshall): Goddard was relatively quiet in his first two years at Marshall, but he emerged in 2003 with 68 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He gained national attention in ‘04, however, when he led the nation with 16 sacks and 28.5 tackles for a loss (fourth in NCAA history). Goddard is probably too small to play on the line in the NFL, and may attempt to make the move to linebacker. He will also start his career drowning in the depth chart, but his nose for the quarterback could eventually shoot him up the chart.

Chicago Bears

Cedric Benson (Round 1, RB, Texas): Benson was Texas’ workhorse, carrying over 1,100 times for 5,540 yards in his career with the Longhorns, and was drafted to start at RB for the Bears. However, due to his lengthy holdout and his ensuing threats to hold out the season, Thomas Jones will keep his spot warm for now. The length of Jones’ stay will be determined by the length of Benson’s holdout (although he has now arrived at camp, still unsigned) and his attitude once he gets on the field.

Mark Bradley (Round 2, WR, Oklahoma): Bradley is a speedster with the talent to play several offensive positions. He only had about 700 yards receiving in two years with Oklahoma, but he is a huge talent. He can play effectively as a receiver, a runner, and a special teams returner with his 4.42 speed. He could easily turn into one of the top three receivers on the chart.

Kyle Orton (Round 4, QB, Purdue): Kyle Orton is a very talented QB out of Purdue with a great nose for the game. His intelligence should allow him to adjust to a new play book and varying offensive and defensive schemes quickly. He may be showcased quicker than many thought. With Rex Grossman’s injury and backup Chad Hutchinson’s immense struggles in the preseason, many Bears fans are clamoring to get the youngster into the starting role. You will see Orton at the helm early this season if Hutchinson doesn’t improve soon.

Airese Currie (Round 5, WR, Clemson): Currie has average speed and quickness, but he recognizes defensive schemes well, always finding creases in zones. According to NFL.com, however, Currie lacks consistent hands and doesn’t have the desire to make catches in traffic. With the Bears’ current receiving situation, it is possible that Currie will see some limited action this year.

Chris Harris (Round 6, SS, Louisiana-Monroe): Harris started every game he played at UL-Monroe. As a strong safety, his strength is actually stepping up to the line to become a run-stopper. Don’t expect to see Harris on the field much this year; he will be a work in progress, especially in coverage situations.

Rodriques Wilson (Round 7, SS, South Carolina): Wilson is a quality tackler with a nose for the ball. Once the play is developed, he is seldom late in getting to the ball-carrier. His problem is that his play is mostly instinctive. He doesn’t think enough on the field, especially when it come to differentiating between run and pass before the play. Wilson, like Harris, will most likely need a couple of years to adjust.

 
During the 2005 season, Dave McGrath will present an in-depth fantasy preview of his weekly Spotlight Games.

Questions or comments for Dave? Post them in the Cafe’s forums!