NFC North Roundtable: The Most Important Rookies on the Vikings, Packers, Bears, and Lions

Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr. will likely have major impacts on the Vikings' secondary this season.

The NFL Draft is about the future. The ultimate goal is to project and identify prospects who will become great players several years down the line and impact winning for a long time.

With that said, it's also about the present. Although prioritizing immediate needs in the draft is often a sign of poor process, you want to select players in the first few rounds who can help your team right away. Successful draft picks provide a great deal of surplus value over the course of their rookie contracts, so ideally they'll be able to earn their way onto the field in year one and grow from there.

There are some exceptions, but usually the players who are good right away — Justin Jefferson, for example — are going to have the best careers.

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.

This is part ten, where we each chose the most important rookies on the team we cover for the 2022 season. Let's get to it.

Minnesota Vikings: S Lewis Cine and CB Andrew Booth Jr.

The Vikings' top two draft picks are the obvious answers here, since fellow top-70 picks Ed Ingram (RG) and Brian Asamoah (ILB) seem unlikely to have major roles early in their rookie seasons.

Cine, who the Vikings picked after controversially trading down 20 spots in the first round, should be expected to beat out Camryn Bynum for the starting spot next to Harrison Smith. The Georgia product brings a remarkable blend of football IQ, downhill violence, and coverage ability to the table. Assuming he starts, he'll be a big part of Ed Donatell's defense, which has its safeties begin almost every play in a two-high shell before rotating into various looks after the snap.

There may be some growing pains for Cine, but he has all of the physical tools and talent to be an upgrade over Xavier Woods right away. He couldn't have asked for a better situation than landing in Minnesota, where he'll get to learn from Smith while playing alongside him. Don't be surprised if Cine stuffs the stat sheet with tackles, pass breakups, and a few turnovers created in year one.

Booth, selected ten picks later in a trade-up move, might not be a Week 1 starter, as he'll have to beat out third-year corner Cameron Dantzler. At some point, though — whether due to injuries or coaching decisions — the former Clemson star's number will almost certainly be called. Patrick Peterson is 32 years old and Dantzler has missed time due to injury in both of his NFL seasons. Booth doesn't turn 22 until after Week 3, but his elite athleticism and ball skills should help him hold his own on the outside as a rookie. If he can stay healthy, he'll have a chance to establish himself as one of the steals of this year's draft. — Will Ragatz, Inside the Vikings

Green Bay Packers: LB Quay Walker, WR Christian Watson, WR Romeo Doubs

Quay Walker, the first of the team’s first-round picks, could really change the way the Packers have done their defensive business for years. Teams can talk until they’re blue in the face about the need to stop the run but, really, the key is stopping the pass. To accomplish that, defensive coordinator Joe Barry and his predecessor, Mike Pettine, played a lot of dime defense the past few seasons. That’s six defensive backs, with a safety taking the place of the second inside linebacker. More speed on the field, in theory, means better coverage. The drawback is it leaves the team with too few big guys to consistently stop the run.

Because Walker is so big and fast, the Packers might be able to have the best of both worlds with the size to stop the run but the speed to slow down quarterbacks. Better run defense on first down means more third-and-longs, and that should play into Barry’s hands.

Meanwhile, everyone knows the Packers’ predicament at receiver following the offseason trade of Davante Adams. In response, the Packers drafted three receivers, including Christian Watson in the second round and Romeo Doubs in the fourth round. 

At 6-foot-4 and with 4.36 speed in the 40, Watson has an elite set of tools. Watson’s Relative Athletic Score rivals that of former Lions star Calvin Johnson. That’s not to compare a rookie to a Hall of Famer, but Johnson’s size-speed-skill made him one of the most uncoverable receivers in NFL history. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich predicted Watson would become a “problem” for opposing defenses. Doubs isn’t quite as big or fast, but he was one of the best deep-ball prospects in this year’s draft. He got behind the defense on several occasions during the offseason practices.

Whether it’s Watson, Doubs, seventh-rounder Samori Toure or a combination of the three, the Packers will need at least one of their rookie wideouts to become a reliable playmaker by the time the calendar turns to December. — Bill Huber, Packer Central

Chicago Bears: WR Velus Jones Jr. and CB Kyler Gordon

Neither of the most important Bears rookies will be the most successful one, as safety Jaquan Brisker looks situated to make the biggest impact. However, both Jones and Gordon are the most important because their roles are more crucial to the team's success on each side of the ball.

Gordon is critical because last year's defense played with only one legitimate starting cornerback, and he'll give the Bears one on each side when put on the field with Jaylon Johnson. The Bears were last in passer rating against in 2021 and have had one interception by cornerbacks each of the last two seasons, so getting the type of playmaking they anticipate from Gordon would be huge.

Jones' role on offense would be as an all-around type of target who can gain yards after the short catch or even rush with the ball in order to help open up the attack. With 4.31-second speed in the 40 at 6-foot, 204 pounds, the Bears would like to think Jones can be a Deebo Samuel type, although this seems a bit optimistic. It's a key role, also, because their No. 2 receiver after Darnell Mooney is unproven Byron Pringle, and they'll need an insurance policy if the former Chiefs receiver falters. — Gene Chamberlain, Bear Digest

Detroit Lions: DE Aidan Hutchinson and LB Malcolm Rodriguez

The Lions’ roster does not feature many players on defense that are considered the best at their position. Over the past couple of seasons, general manager Brad Holmes and the personnel department have made a concerted effort to retool the defense.

Aidan Hutchinson represents everything the organization is seeking to become, as he is known as a relentless, hard-working player who has the potential to contribute on the defensive line for the next decade. His success will be imperative for the rebuilding process, as the team has invested several high draft picks for players on the defensive line.

Linebacker is a position that supporters question the most, as the team hasn’t had a dominant linebacker since Chris Spielman. Rodriguez has an opportunity to make an impact early in his career. The coaching staff even sees the potential for Rodriquez to lead and eventually could be tasked with donning the green dot for Aaron Glenn’s defense. — John Maakaron, All Lions

Previous NFC North roundtables:

• Part 1: Offensive and defensive MVPs for each team
• Part 2: Each team's biggest offseason addition and loss
• Part 3: The most overrated player on each team
• Part 4: The must underrated player on each team
• Part 5: The best-case scenario for each team in 2022
• Part 6: The worst-case scenario for each team in 2022
• Part 7: One player from each team who will surprise this season
• Part 8: One player from each team who will disappoint
• Part 9: The biggest remaining question for each team

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