NFL Draft Worst Case Scenarios: NFC South
The Falcons’ interest in moving up to grab Henderson is one of the worst kept secrets in the draft. The franchise needs to be careful they aren’t taken advantage of in the transaction. No one is really sure where Henderson’s range is at the moment. There’s a strong chance the Falcons could end up bidding against themselves.
Matt Rhule wants to give Teddy Bridgewater a ton of weapons to make sure he succeeds. There are going to be several elite wide receivers available when the Panthers go on the clock at No. 7. Ignoring the team’s lack of defensive talent for a shiny new offensive toy would be a disaster for Carolina.
The Saints know they have a very short window left with Drew Brees at the quarterback position. The franchise might be tempted to take Love with their late first round pick to groom him as their signal caller of the future. Making that move would decrease the team’s chances of helping Brees win one more title before he hangs up his spikes.
The Buccaneers are in a tricky spot. It’s unclear whether or not a highly rated tackle will fall to them at No. 14. To be safe, they need to move up into the top 10. They might deem that price too costly. Leaving Brady without adequate protection on the perimeter would be an even more expensive mistake.
NFL Draft Worst Case Scenarios: NFC North
The Bears must know that Jimmy Graham isn’t going to be the answer at tight end. Releasing Trey Burton also leaves them short of bodies at the position. Chicago would be smart to nab one of the better tight end prospects in this class, but there isn’t a prospect worthy of a first round pick. Cole Kmet can wait until Round 2 at the absolute earliest.
The worst-case scenario for the Lions isn’t a complete disaster. Realistically, the worst thing they can do is stay at No. 3 to draft Jeff Okudah. He can do a reasonable job of replacing Darius Slay. That just doesn’t help Detroit win any more games in 2020.
The Packers are another team with an aging quarterback who needs more support to win now. Specifically, Green Bay needs to add a wide receiver to take pressure off of Davante Adams. Doing anything else with the 30th pick would be a huge mistake.
The Vikings have to come out of this draft with at least one potential starter at corner. They don’t necessarily add that player at No. 22, but if they make both of their first round selections without addressing the need it will come back to haunt Mike Zimmer.