It’s worth also noting whom Sikkema most liked from the Vikings division rivals. Turns out, he’s also a big fan of Burden’s.
Burden was my WR2 and 15th-ranked player in the class, so to get him in the second round at pick No. 39 was great value. New Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson can get the most out of Burden after heavily emphasizing the slot receiver in his Lions passing attack.
Back in Johnson’s old stomping grounds, Sikkema looked all the way to Round 7 and highlighted safety Dan Jackson.
The Lions early picks were great, too; I gave them a B+ grade. But Dan Jackson, the walk-on-turned-starter for Georgia, can be a special teams eraser and fill in as a rotational safety for Detroit. His PFF run-defense grade was lower in 2024, but he can make impressive tackles from depth at full speed.
And last but not least, Sikkema pointed to fourth-round selection Barryn Sorrell as the Packers best pick.
The Packers waited until Day 3 to address their defensive line and got two good players in Sorrell and Collin Oliver. Sorrell can play anything from 4i defensive end to stand-up outside linebacker. He earned 73.0-plus PFF pass-rush and run-defense grades across 651 snaps in 2024.