Slowing down pass-happy offenses was the thrust of the draft in the NFC Central Division. The first five picks were selected specifically to keep quarterbacks Brett Favre of Green Bay, Warren Moon of Minnesota, Scott Mitchell of Detroit and Erik Kramer of the Bears from repeating their 1-2-3-4 finish in the league in touchdown passes.
The Bears took cornerback Walt Harris specifically with Detroit receiver Herman Moore in mind. Moore set an NFL record with 123 receptions last season, 20 in two games against the Bears. Minnesota’s Cris Carter had 122 receptions, Detroit’s Brett Perriman had 108, and Green Bay’s Robert Brooks had 102, so the division contributed four of the league’s nine 100-catch receivers.
To stem the tide, the Buccaneers, Lions and Vikings all joined the Bears in taking defenders in the first round. The defending champion Packers were the only division team to take an offensive player in the first round. They selected USC tackle John Michels as a future replacement for Ken Ruettgers. In the second round, they beefed up their potent pass attack with Notre Dame receiver Derrick Mayes.
Continuing a franchise tradition, the Bucs took pass rushers Regan Upshaw of California and Marcus Jones of North Carolina with their two first-round picks. New coach Tony Dungy is hoping to change the horrendous luck on the defensive line. The Bucs selected Warren Sapp and Eric Curry high in the last three drafts without much success so far.
The Lions, like the Bears, traded up to land their man, taking Texas A&M linebacker Reggie Brown. He is the fastest linebacker in the draft and the Lions expect him to fill the void left by Chris Spielman’s departure to Buffalo.
The Lions used their second pick in the first round to take a player the Bears loved, Penn State guard Jeff Hartings, who will become an instant starter.
The Bucs, with four picks in the first 42, selected Purdue fullback Mike Alstott in the second round and traded their second No. 2 for next year’s No. 1 pick of the San Diego Chargers, a deal Dungy made to ensure his rebuilding process.
The Vikings, devastated by defections in their defensive line the last few years, made a pass rusher their No. 1 pick for the second year in a row. California’s Duane Clemons, a linebacker who could grow into a defensive end, will join Derrick Alexander from last year in an effort to give all-pro tackle John Randle help.
That the Packers selected Michels is a good news-bad news situation for teams trying to catch the Pack. Unless Michels can play guard, it is unlikely he will be able to make a difference in the lineup this year. But that could mean the Packers think they don’t need the immediate impact and Mayes can provide the same kind of offensive boost there that Bobby Engram can in Chicago.
The progress of the two receivers will be interesting to watch. Neither was deemed fast enough to warrant first-round consideration, but both were extremely productive in big-time programs and fell down the list at the deepest position in the draft.
The 6-foot, 200-pound Mayes is bigger than the 5-10, 185-pound Engram. Both clocked in the high 4.5s for the 40-yard dash, a tick slower than the fastest, but only a step away from top pick Keyshawn Johnson. The Bears preferred Engram to Mayes because of his punt-return capability.
