NFC North Insiders: Players Most Likely to Disappoint

Our four NFC North beat writers get you ready for the 2022 NFL season with a series of previews. In Part 8 of our roundtable conversation, we take a look at some players who might fall short of expectations.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Jul 10, 2022 8:59 AM EDT

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – It’s the offseason, so NFL hype trains are racing at full speed. In some cases, those hype trains are going to go off the rails once the reality of training camp arrives.

Our NFC North insiders – Bill Huber of Packer Central, Will Ragatz of Inside the Vikings, Gene Chamberlain of Bear Digest and John Maakaron of All Lions – get you ready for the 2022 NFL season with a 12-piece roundtable discussion. In Part 8 of this series, we focus on a player from each team who might not live up to the hype.

That doesn’t necessarily mean these players are going to bust. Rather, this quartet might not reach outside expectations. Leading off, it’s the Green Bay Packers’ lone veteran addition at receiver.

Green Bay Packers: WR Sammy Watkins

Contractually speaking, there’s no guarantee Watkins is going to make the roster. And the Packers tripled-down on the position by drafting Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure.

But in plotting a course without Davante Adams, coach Matt LaFleur said Watkins would be a “big part” of the revamped offense.

“I know he’s highly motivated,” LaFleur said. “Watching the way he works and the way he handles his business, he’s a true pro. We’re going to get a great version of Sammy Watkins.”

Watkins was the fourth pick of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He had two strong years to start his career, including a 1,000-yard season in 2015. His career has fallen off the face of the earth, though. Over the last six seasons, he’s topped 40 receptions just once and never touched 700 yards. However, it’s perhaps worth noting that his two quality seasons with the Bills came alongside the Packers’ receivers coach and passing game coordinator, Jason Vrable. And he scored eight touchdowns for the Rams in 2017, when LaFleur was the offensive coordinator.

Still, there’s a truism among scouts and coaches that injured players get injured. The last four seasons, he’s missed 18 games due to an assortment of injuries. Watkins hoped that a new workout regimen will help him “revive’ his career.

It’s going to take a village to replace Adams. The Packers, who figure to start training camp with Watkins, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb as their primary trio of receivers, probably would be thrilled to get Watkins’ 2019 production with the Chiefs, when he caught 52 passes for 673 yards and three touchdowns with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. At this point in his career, though, Watkins is more name than game. It will be up to him to prove otherwise and show his career is ready for a second act.

Minnesota Vikings: OLB D.J. Wonnum

Wonnum has had a solid start to his career after being drafted in the fourth round in 2020. He had a few nice moments as a rookie — including forcing an Aaron Rodgers fumble to seal a victory at Lambeau Field — and then led the Vikings with eight sacks last season. Because of that, some fans may be expecting big things out of Wonnum in 2022, even though he's behind Danielle Hunter and former Packers star Za'Darius Smith on the depth chart.

Although it's possible Wonnum takes a step forward this year and is a productive member of a rotation on the edge, it's worth noting that his sack number from a season ago was a bit deceptive. Most of his sacks came when he was either unblocked or cleaning things up several seconds into a play thanks to good coverage downfield. Wonnum ranked 50th in PFF's pass rush productivity out of 56 edge rushers with at least 300 pass rushing snaps, and he had just one game with a pass rush grade of at least 70. His run defense also has been inconsistent through two seasons.

Wonnum won't have to be a starter this season as long as Hunter and Smith are healthy, and it's hard to disappoint too much as a rotational depth player. But I'd imagine that that's exactly what he'll be: a solid backup, not a third-year breakout candidate like his 2021 sack numbers might suggest.

Detroit Lions: DL Michael Brockers

The veteran defensive lineman is one of the oldest members of the Lions' roster. The 31-year-old was signed last season by general manager Brad Holmes to come in and work with a roster that is going markedly younger.

Brockers dealt with a nagging shoulder issue during his first training camp in Motown and never really got into a groove production-wise.

Unfortunately for the Lions, Brockers only recorded one sack in 16 games and did not make many significant defensive plays in coordinator Aaron Glenn's defense.

Many believe there is still a role for a player with his experience level, but Detroit's coaching staff likely will scale back his snap counts this upcoming season to make way for the infusion of young talent that has joined the defensive line.

The hope is that a bit of a schematic change, which will allow the defensive line to attack more frequently, will allow players like Brockers to create more havoc.

"I'm playing more the strong-side end, 4i, 3 (technique), stuff like that," Brockers recently told reporters. "So, I think it plays well into what I do."

The addition of rookie Aidan Hutchinson should allow for more opportunities to attack one-on-one matchups, but Brockers will have to win battles more often to justify his position on the roster. It will be interesting to observe how much Brockers rebounds from the worst statistical season of his professional career.

Chicago Bears: WR Velus Jones Jr.

This isn't to suggest Jones, a rookie receiver from Tennessee, will be a poor draft pick by general manager Ryan Poles. But he will need some time, and it might be 2023 or later when he blossoms. Time isn’t exactly a commodity Jones owns as a 25-year-old rookie.

Jones has physical ability at 6-foot, 204 pounds. He ran a 4.31-second 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine, but he hasn't necessarily been quick to pick up what the receiver position demands. Jones was at USC for four years and didn't fit into the offense with only 36 receptions. At Tennessee, he made only 22 catches in his first season. It wasn't until his sixth and final year of college football that he made an impact with 62 catches for 807 yards and seven TDs.

The best – and probably the only – way Jones will make an immediate impact for the Bears is via special teams, and if new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy simplifies Jones’ routes and role. This would put a cap on his production but it might help him to develop. So, as a rookie, Jones seems unlikely to put up big numbers. The projection might be somewhere around 30 or 33 receptions.

Another factor in this is it's uncommon for any receiver drafted after the second round now to step up with big first years. The only receivers to be drafted after Round 2 the last two years and make more than 35 receptions as rookies were Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown and Chicago’s Darnell Mooney.

A team needing help badly at receiver will have to get it again from Mooney, Byron Pringle and a collection of castoffs from other teams before Jones picks things up in Years 2 or 3, about the time he's 27 or 28 years old. Jones won't seem like a disappointment then, but with all the elevated hype he's been receiving in Chicago as the only receiver it drafted when it really needed to select at least a couple, he’s more likely to let everyone down than meet expectations.