NFC North Roundtable: D.J. Wonnum and One Player Who Will Disappoint on Each Team

We picked one player on each NFC North team who will disappoint in 2022.

Will Ragatz | Jul 10, 2022

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Expectations can be a dangerous thing. Progress isn't always linear, and players might not be ready to deliver at the level that people believe they should.

This summer, Fan Nation's four NFC North publishers — myself, Packer Central's Bill Huber, All Lions' John Maakaron, and Bear Digest's Gene Chamberlain — are running a 12-part roundtable series breaking down the state of the NFC North heading into the 2022 season.

Part seven, which you can find here, was about one player from each team who we believe will surprise people this year. This is part eight, where we did the opposite — we picked one player from the team we cover that we believe will disappoint this season.

Surprising and disappointing players are different than underrated and overrated players (we did those earlier in this series). It's about expectations and how we believe a player will perform, relative to those expectations.

Without further ado, one projected "disappointing" player from each NFC North team:

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 8 sacks last season in his sophomore campaign. Because of that, some fans may be expecting big things out of Wonnum in 2022, even though he's behind Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith on the depth chart at outside linebacker.

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 numbers from a season ago are 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 has also been inconsistent through two seasons.

Again, 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. — Will Ragatz, Inside the Vikings

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 proclaimed 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. Though, 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 this point in his career, though, Watkins is more name than game. — Bill Huber, Packer Central

Chicago Bears: WR Velus Jones Jr.

This isn't to suggest wide receiver Jones will be a poor draft pick by GM Ryan Poles, but he will need some time and it might be 2023 or later when he blossoms. Time isn't 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, but he hasn't necessarily been quick to pick up what the receiver position demands in college offenses. Jones was at USC 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 only, way Jones makes an immediate bigger impact for the Bears is special teams, and if they limit his use on offense to simplify routes and his role. This will put a cap on his production but might help him to eventually develop. So, as a rookie Jones seems unlikely to put up big numbers. The projection here for BearDigest was 30-33 receptions.

Another factor in this is that it's uncommon for any receiver drafted after the second round now to step up with big first years. At least it's been this way the last two drafts. Is it possible receivers are being scouted better now? Or perhaps the college game's passing attacks have reached a point where it's easier for NFL teams to tell which receivers can really fit in faster and should go in the first two rounds. The only two NFL receivers to be drafted after Round 2 the last two years and record more than 35 receptions as rookies were Amon-Ra St. Brown and Darnell Mooney.

A team needing help badly at wide 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 their only receiver in a draft when they really needed more than one, he's more likely to let everyone down than meet expectations. — Gene Chamberlain, Bear Digest

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 new 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, Brockers only recorded one sack in 16 games and did not make many significant defensive plays in Aaron Glenn's defense.

Many believe there is still a role for a player with his experience level, but Detroit's coaching staff will likely 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 change in the defensive front to be more attacking will allow the defensive linemen on the roster to attack offensive lines.

"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. — John Maakaron, All Lions

Previous NFC North roundtables:

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Published Jul 10, 2022

WILL RAGATZ