The Punch Nicholas Morrow Packs

Every NFL season comes with pleasant surprises and even the worst teams have them.

Linebacker Nicholas Morrow looks like the Bears player most likely to surprise. In fact, some might say he's already doing it because he was a Ryan Poles free agent acquisition who hasn't been arrested.

In all seriousness, Morrow will surprise because the team paid just $3 million and gave him a one-year contract. It's not the kind of cash key middle linebacker acquisitions normally command in free agency and it would appear the Bears got a bargain based on what they've seen in OTAs and minicamp.

And they have yet to see one of his greatest qualities—the ability to focus his great speed so he arrives and to deliver a big hit. It's something Bears coaches noted about him in film study but obviously he can't do it in non-contact drills during the offseason.

Morrow seems to be made to play in this role of middle linebacker for the Tampa-2 style of defense that the Bears are going to use under coach Matt Eberflus. He has 4.52 speed in the 40 and is said to be just .01 seconds slower than Roquan Smith, whose speed has made him possibly the best inside linebacker in the division.

Morrow can play any linebacker spot, so if the Bears choose to switch Roquan Smith from weak side to the middle they can put Morrow's speed to the weak side. He has started more at the weak side and strong side but has a few starts in the middle. However, he has switched in-game to the middle to play it situationally.

With the Raiders, Morrow played in this style of defense and made 20 pass defenses in four seasons, or three more than Smith for his career, and he was second-team All-Pro the last two seasons Morrow could have even more but missed last season with a preseason ankle injury, one which has long-since healed

The idea for the new Bears defensive scheme is to create more takeaways, especially interceptions. The Bears tied a franchise record low of eight interceptions last year, although the record tied was for 16 games and this was for 17. Morrow could have a key part in changing this.

Here are three other players in the division likely to surprise people in 2022 in the opinion of FanNation publishers within the NFC North.

-John Maakaron, All Lions

Detroit Lions

SAFETY WILL HARRIS

Harris is being asked by the coaching staff to change positions and play cornerback in 2022.

Drafted back in 2019 in the third-round, Harris has struggled to perform at a high level at the safety position. During the recently completed organized team activities and minicamp, Harris played alongside the first-team defense, as Jeff Okudah has been working his way back from an Achilles injury suffered at the beginning of last season.

The 26-year-old appeared to adapt well to the switch in positions, as he was observed making plays and being in position for the majority of practice reps he was playing on the outside.

If he indeed earns a position playing nickel cornerback, Harris will have an opportunity to turn his career around. While he was forced into playing cornerback last season, he has embraced the opportunity to make plays in Aaron Glenn's defense.

"I was able to get a lot of exposure toward the end of last year, just playing strictly corner, and I feel comfortable doing that. That's another spot where I think I can just continue getting better and continue to learn all the intricacies of playing corner and wearing that hat," Harris recently said. "Obviously, being out in more space and facing some of the guys on the outside, I love it. It's pure competition out there and that's what you want to be, to go out and compete."

Green Bay Packers

WIDE RECEIVER AMARI RODGERS

It’s easy to overlook Rodgers. Trust me, I know through experience. Every time I sort through the contenders to help offset the loss of Davante Adams, I think about returning veterans Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. I think about veteran addition Sammy Watkins. And, of course, I consider the three draft picks: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure.

It’s easy to forget about Rodgers. The Packers essentially did last season, after all. After trading for Cobb at the start of training camp, the third-round pick’s rookie season was shoved to the back burner. He caught 4-of-8 passes for 45 yards, including zero during the eight games preceding Week 18. On punt returns, he made fielding kicks the equivalent of one of those choose-your-own-adventure stories.

But Rodgers was a productive player at Clemson, and the Packers moved up in the third round to get him for a reason. He knows the offense, and he feels more fit after dropping a few pounds in the offseason.

Cobb–his longtime mentor–remains on the roster and will start training camp as the No. 1 in the slot. Cobb probably will open the season as a primary player but look for Rodgers, who is nine years younger than Cobb, to get more opportunities as the season progresses because he’s a much bigger threat with the ball in his hands. It was an incredibly small skill-set but he used his powerful build and short-area speed to lead the team’s receivers in YAC per catch last season.

-Bill Huber, Packer Central

Minnesota Vikings

TIGHT END IRV SMITH JR.

Last year was supposed to be a breakout season for Smith, the Vikings' second-round pick out of Alabama in 2019. He was one of the team's best players during training camp, making plays all over the field during live reps. Heading into his third season, Smith was poised to take advantage of his first opportunity to be the Vikings' No. 1 tight end.

Then he tore his meniscus, ending his season before it started.

One year later, Smith is healthy and ready to have the breakout season he didn't get to have in 2021. Because he was one of the youngest players in his draft class, Smith is entering his fourth season and doesn't turn 24 until the week leading into the Vikings' first preseason game. All of the talent and athleticism that made him a second-round pick is still there, just waiting to be unleashed in Kevin O'Connell's offense.

Smith put up a 66/676/7 line across his first two seasons in the NFL, essentially splitting time down the middle with veteran Kyle Rudolph. But Rudolph departed before last season, and now Tyler Conklin is gone too. Smith stands alone as the only tight end on the Vikings' roster with more than 10 career receptions. In a contract year, he's expected to be a crucial piece in O'Connell's passing game.

I'm a big believer in Smith's ability and the matchup problems he can cause as a 6-2, 240-pound pass-catcher with 4.6 speed. After flashing potential as a young player, this is the year Smith emerge with Pro Bowl upside.

-Will Ragatz, Inside the Vikings

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven