NFL Draft Aftermath: Winners and Losers from the NFC North

Jacob Feldman Posted On June 30, 2016

Out of all eight divisions, the NFC North might have had the most boring draft in terms of offensive fantasy players. In fact, there was only one offensive skill position player drafted in the first four rounds for the entire division. The vast majority of the teams in the division focused on the defensive side of the ball and/or the offensive line during their drafts. The skill position players who were drafted were added as depth moves. Most of them will be fighting for roster spots as backups and special teamers and are unlikely to make much if any fantasy impact in the short term. None the less, let’s take a look at who was selected.

Chicago Bears

Jordan Howard, RB – Round 5, pick 11 (150 overall)

Daniel Braverman, WR – Round 7, pick 9 (230 overall)

Detroit Lions

Jake Rudock, QB – Round 6, pick 16 (191 overall)

Dwayne Washington, RB – Round 7, pick 15 (236 overall)

Green Bay Packers

Trevor Davis, WR – Round 5, pick 26 (163 overall)

Minnesota Vikings

Laquon Treadwell, WR – Round 1, pick 23 (23 overall)

Moritz Boehringer, WR – Round 6, pick 5 (180 overall)

David Morgan, TE – Round 6, pick 13 (188 overall)

Winners

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Every Quarterback

When teams add talent on the offensive line and the defensive side of the ball, it takes a lot of pressure off their quarterbacks. Improving the defense makes it less likely the team will be facing a massive deficit. This helps keep the entire game plan an option for the whole game, which allows the offensive the freedom to do what it can do. The impact of improving the offensive line is pretty obvious. Better players up front helps keep the pocket cleaner and gives the quarterbacks the time they need.

Teddy Bridgewater, QB MIN

I’m going to single Bridgewater out because the addition of Treadwell is a pretty major coup for the young signal caller. The Vikings had one of the worst receiver groups in the entire league last year. They desperately needed an infusion of talent if Bridgewater is going to continue to develop, and they received exactly that with Treadwell. Some are worried about his lack of speed, and while it is a concern for me when it comes to Treadwell’s upside, his game fits perfectly with Bridgewater’s strengths. Treadwell can be the dependable target hog in the short to intermediate parts of the field. His addition should also help keep defenses a little bit more honest, which is a plus for Adrian Peterson as well.

Ameer Abdullah, RB DET

Abdullah didn’t have a great year as a rookie. He had issues with ball security (five fumbles in 143 carries) and had an awful lot of carries for no gain or negative yardage. He showed fairly well in the passing game, but the Lions also have Theo Riddick. Some thought the Lions might add a running back early in the draft to be in a committee with Abdullah or maybe even take over the role. This didn’t happen, and the Lions added offensive line help in the first, third and fifth rounds. This means Abdullah should get another year to show he can be a feature back. I’m not sure if he is up to the task, but he’s going to have the opportunity to show what he can do.

Golden Tate and Marvin Jones, WRs DET

The loss of one of the best ever is going to leave a massive hole in the passing game for the Lions. Some wondered if the Lions would try to replace Megatron with a top receiver in this year’s draft. Instead they opted to bolster the trenches which should leave Tate and Jones as the focal points of the passing game. Riddick and Eric Ebron should get a fair share, but the majority will go to these two. If they stay healthy, they both could surpass 1000 yards for the year. I expect Tate to be the top target and he carries less risk, but Jones is the better value at their current price points.

Losers

Charles Johnson, WR MIN

In the not too distant past, people were drafting Johnson as a top 20 receiver in dynasty leagues. Oops. The arrival of Stefon Diggs last year and Treadwell this year have pretty much killed whatever dreams were still alive after a terrible season. It is going to be tough for Johnson to get a whole lot of playing time let alone targets as the third receiver in the run heavy offense the Vikings employ. I think his fantasy relevance was nothing more than a flash in the pan. Even if some injuries occur, I think Johnson showed last year that he isn’t up to the task of being a starting receiver in the NFL.

Jeremy Langford, RB CHI

You could actually make an argument for Langford being a winner given some of the rumors floating around predraft about the Bears and Ezekiel Elliot. You could also argue the Bears waiting until the fifth round to draft a running back as a sign of trust in the second year player out of Michigan State. So why do I have him listed in the loser column? I think Jordan Howard’s arrival in Chicago is a sign Langford will not receive goal line work. This is a bit of a blow to his potential upside, and given some of the holes he showed last year it could be more than just goal line work. I’m not super high on Howard, and I think Langford is the running back to own if you can only pick one, but I think we are looking at a committee in Chicago.

That’s about it for the NFC North. From a fantasy perspective, aside from those of you doing IDP, it was an extremely boring and uneventful draft. Most players remained exactly what they were prior to the draft, and aside from the Vikings, any changes in value were quite minor.

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Jacob Feldman

Honorary Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Jacob is a high school math teacher by day and a father at night. This doesn't leave too much time for sane thought, so occasionally words like "icky" will slip into his writing. It is all a part of the fun!