2019 NFL Draft: NFC North Worst Case Scenarios

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TOP 40 PLAYERS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS NEEDS & TARGETS
POSITIONAL TOP 5 RANKINGS & VIDEO BREAKDOWNS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
INMAN: NFC NORTH WORST CASE DRAFT SCENARIOS
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INMAN’S MOCK DRAFT COLLECTION

Rick Spielman says he and his scouting staff run over a thousand mock simulations before draft weekend in hopes of preparing for every possible situation that comes their way. During the long and tedious process, the front office is sure to see numerous outcomes that would be considered a worst case scenario within the division.

I went through my own projections and outlined some draft day scenarios for the rest of the NFC North that would make every Vikings fan cringe.

Head into the danger zone with these divisional worst case scenarios on draft night.

Green Bay Packers

12) T.J. Hockenson, Tight End, Iowa

No-no-no-no-no. No! Hockenson is one of my top prospects in the entire draft (No. 5 overall player), but given the position he plays may easily slip to the Packers’ first selection. Hockenson is easy for a scout because of his combination of football I.Q. and passion for the game. One of the best blocking tight ends I’ve ever seen, period. Not to mention his potential with Aaron Rodgers in the passing game is as good as any one of his peers in the class. Stealing Hockenson here would be an A+ start for this front office.

30) Nasir Adderley, Safety, Delaware

Adderley is about as polished as you’ll find when it comes to having the natural ball skills and football awareness in the new pass-happy league, and would solidify the Packers secondary after years of investing early picks. The one bug-a-boo on Adderley is his small school background, which could scare off teams looking for a “sure thing” with their first selection. Great value while filling their last and final need to help close out ball games.

44) Josh Jacobs, Running Back, Alabama

Does anyone even care about running backs anymore? Despite his first-round talent, it wouldn’t be surprising in the least bit to see Jacobs slip into this range given how watered down the position has become. However, Jacobs is the surest thing of his peers while offering huge big-play potential with long runs and a bruising mentality. All of a sudden Rodgers has two new dangerous weapons to work with, jolting the offense with a fresh spark. Absolute worst case scenario for the rest of the NFC North.

Detroit Lions

8) Josh Allen, Kentucky, EDGE

Including Allen, I see five blue-chip can’t miss prospects, and like always, one of them will likely fall a few extra spots. Allen to a pass-rush hungry front-seven like the Lions is a disgusting combo for opposing offenses. Matt Patricia can use Allen and newly signed Trey Flowers a plethora of different ways, giving this defense a new look and fresh vibe heading into 2019.

43) Irv Smith Jr., Tight End, Alabama

In any other class big Irv would be talked about as the number one tight end in the class, but with such a loaded group he will likely get pushed down further than his value suggests. At just 20 years old, Smith offers monster potential with outstanding route running and close to equal blocking ability. Finally, the Lions hit on a stud playmaking tight-end, and they didn’t even have to use a first-round pick.

88) Riley Ridley, Wide Receiver, Georgia

Ridley is slipping down boards as of late because of his lack of one standout trait. Instead, Ridley is rock solid all the way around, and could thrive as my team’s eventual number two wide out. Even with the signing of Danny Amendola, this offense needs a young, sharp fourth wideout to start learning the ropes behind Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones. In a pass-happy league, Stafford would now have a versatile five-wide look with Ridley and Smith in the mix.

Chicago Bears

88) Darrell Henderson, Running Back, Memphis

I know they have a similar style in Tarik Cohen, but Matt Nagy shipped out Jordan Howard for peanuts just because he didn’t fit his scheme. Henderson is a nightmare out of the backfield and shattered records for the amount of long runs he produced over his career. A lightning bug with big play power, combining him with Cohen would exhaust defenses while giving Nagy a whole new chapter of options.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE
ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE

TOP 40 PLAYERS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS NEEDS & TARGETS
POSITIONAL TOP 5 RANKINGS & VIDEO BREAKDOWNS
MINNESOTA VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL (PODCASTS, VIDEOS, ARTICLES)
INMAN’S MOCK DRAFT COLLECTION

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