It’s been a few weeks, but it’s still hard to believe the NFL pulled it off. The NFL draft, held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, went off without a hitch. Hosted in Roger Goodell’s basement, it was an intimate setting during a time of such isolation. We got to see fans, coaches, and prospects at home, or if you are Jerry Jones, on your yacht. As expected we saw the Cincinnati Bengals draft LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the number one overall pick.
We have all been busy dreaming about the upcoming football season and if it will take place. Now that the schedules have been released, we can continue to hypothesize about who will reign supreme at the end. Here are some of the teams who look championship ready.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2020 has been a wild ride, Did anyone predict the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be Super Bowl contenders this season? Just weeks ago we were talking about the Bucs re-signing Jameis Winston. Winston is now backing up Drew Brees in New Orleans and the Bucs have reunited the ultimate bromance in Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. There’s no doubt they’re going all-in on this season. In the draft, they picked up Tristan Wirfs to protect 43-year-old Brady. Protecting Brady is the key to a Tampa Bay championship. Last season, the Patriots’ offensive line struggled which caused the team to struggle overall.
On the defensive side of the ball, they re-signed defensive line anchors in Jason Pierre-Paul and Ndamukong Suh. They also locked up NFL sack leader Shaquil Barrett. Barrett also broke Warren Sapp’s franchise record in front of Sapp this season. In the draft, the team picked up versatile safety Antoine Winfield Jr. to bolster the backfield. The NFC South is full of playmakers. This defense will have to continue to build off their success from the end of last season.
Arizona Cardinals
This could be a really fun team. The Arizona Cardinals practically stole DeAndre Hopkins from Houston to pair with Kyler Murray. The team put the transition tag on running back Kenyan Drake. He rushed for over 600 yards in eight games last season. He averaged over five yards per carry.
Their biggest problem is the strength of the division. The NFC West is a talented division that includes two of the last NFC Champions. Currently, betters have the Cardinals as underdogs in every division matchup. That seems pretty harsh considering this team could put up big numbers on offense. They have a big play guy in Hopkins who can change the outcomes of games.
Isaiah Simmons fell to them in the first round. He is a game-changer on defense who can play anywhere on the field. The team is working with him on the inside linebacker position for now. Their biggest need on defense is covering tight ends.
In addition to acquiring a stud on defense, they were also able to snag a top offensive tackle. Josh Jones was considered a first-round pick but fell to the team in the third. He could instantly become a starter as the team’s new right tackle.
Baltimore Ravens
Somehow the league’s top running team was able to draft a top runner. If you were worried about Lamar Jackson and company running all over you, well be prepared. With the #55 pick in the NFL draft, the Ravens added another weapon in JK Dobbins. Dobbins rushed for more than 2,000 yards in his final season at Ohio State. Dobbins is joining a team that embraces the run first. This should help him succeed early on despite the limited amount of carries he may see to start. Baltimore running back Mark Ingram said he is ready to embrace the role of mentor.
Lamar Jackson’s MVP season was cut short by an embarrassing loss in the playoffs. I don’t think anybody predicted Tenneessee holding Baltimore’s offense to just twelve points. There has to be a chip on Jackson’s shoulder. Hopefully, that translates into another stellar season.
On the other side…
Green Bay Packers
This could be a very interesting storyline that plays out all season. It has already started. Who can blame Aaron Rodgers for feeling some type of way? He led this team to a 13-3 season without top receiver Davante Adams for most of the season.
It was clear Packers fans assumed the team would draft a stud wide receiver in the first round. This year’s NFL draft class was the deepest at the position in recent memory. However, the team chose Utah State quarterback Jordan Love. They picked up a running back and a tight end with their other top picks. Green Bay did not draft one wide receiver.
They’re not any closer to the Super Bowl this season after those picks. They are looking past this season and onto the future. As Liz Loza mentioned this draft was more about Matt LeFleur and less about Aaron Rodgers. Get your popcorn ready.
Philadelphia Eagles
It’s no surprise the Eagles needed to pick up a sure-handed receiver in the NFL draft. They did pick up Jalen Reagor in the first round which was a great move. This was what fans were expecting to see from their team. Wentz loves to throw the ball deep and now had Reagor and Desean Jackson as two speedy targets.
To say it puzzled fans when they picked up QB Jalen Hurts is an understatement. Do they still not trust Carson Wentz to stay healthy for a full season? Is he just going to sit all season and take up a roster spot? They could have picked up someone who would make an immediate impact. Is he just for trick plays? Could this QB competition become ugly and spill over into the team when it is underperforming?
Wentz has said all of the right things up until now. However, that could change if his playing time changes.
It’s not all bad in Philadelphia. The team also picked up CB Darius Slay to help with their defensive backfield. They did not re-sign defensive leader Malcolm Jenkins. Philly also plans to move Jalen Mills to safety, but they chose to not draft a CB. The team must keep Slay healthy all season because it gets razor thin at the position behind him.
