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The NFC North is one of the most exciting and closely fought divisions in the NFL and the acquisition of Kirk Cousins by the Minnesota Vikings during free agency makes this division even more electrifying. The Quarterback-battles between Cousins, Trubisky, Stafford and Rogers will be mouth-watering for years to come.
As always, the NFL Draft gave the teams an opportunity to strengthen their present and future with the most talented prospects from College Football. Therefore, we are taking an in-depth look at each NFC North team's drafts.
Green Bay Packers
The Packers have had some problems with their defense for the past two seasons, finishing 31st and 23rd in passing defense. They have tried to rectify this problem in the past five drafts, drafting an NFL-leading seven defensive backs in the first two rounds.
This year they have tried to continue with the same strategy, drafting 2 corners and 1 outside linebacker with their first three picks in an attempt to solidify their secondary once and for all.
With the 18th overall pick, they drafted Louisville CB Jaire Alexander and with the 45th overall pick they drafted Iowa CB Josh Jackson.
Both complement each other in their own unique way. Alexander measured in at 5ft 10in at the combine, a shade shorter than Jackson's height of 6ft 0in but he makes up for his lack of height with his speed (4.38s 40-yard dash) which is faster than Jackson's (4.56s 40-yard dash).
While Alexander has elite speed, he lacks the playmaking skills of Jackson who had an impressive eight interceptions last year compared to Alexander's seven in the last three years combined. Overall, the Packers left Texas with two of the top six corners in the draft.
With the 88th overall pick, they drafted LB Oren Burks from Vanderbilt, he will most probably feature at the inside linebacker position where his coverage skills could turn him into an ideal dime linebacker.
After addressing their biggest needs on defense in the first three rounds, the Packers set on improving their offense in the later rounds drafting Missouri WR J'on Moore (No. 133 overall), Washington State OG Cole Madison (No. 138 overall),South Florida WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (No. 174 overall), Notre Dame WR Equanimeous St Brown (No. 207 overall).
After Jordy Nelson's departure improving the depth of the wide receiver corps as well as the protection of the recently injury-prone Aaron Rodgers was the prime goal for the Packers in the later rounds the Draft.
The Packers also drafted punter JK Scott and long snapper Hunter Bradley in the 5th and 7th round respectively.
Chicago Bears
The Bears were one the most impressive teams during the offseason, adding major pieces to their offense via trade and free agency, providing Mitchell Trubisky the options he did not have last season.
The Bears had the 8th overall pick in the first round of the draft after they finished with a dismal 5-11 record in the regular season. It was a really advantageous position to pick as most teams in the top-10 were looking to draft a QB leaving the Bears with the cream of the non-QB options.
They drafted Georgia LB Roquan Smith with the 8th overall pick, the 2018 SEC defensive player of the year will be a day one starter, providing much needed speed and strength to the heart of the Bears' defense.
With their first pick in the second round (No. 39 overall) Chicago drafted Iowa C James Daniels, thereby filling a huge need at the interior of their offensive line. James is a hybrid guard/center who will most probably be utilized at both positions in Nagy's offense.
With the 51st pick overall pick they also beefed up their receiving corps with the selection of Memphis WR Anthony Miller. Miller might not be the guy you fall in love with after seeing his measurables but his tape suggests that he has a safe pair of hands and the knack to make the 50-50 catches.
In the following three rounds they further increased the depth of their defense with the selections of Western Kentucky LB Joel Iyiegbuniwe (No. 115 overall), Delaware DT Bilal Nichols (No. 145 overall) and Utah DE Kylie Fitts (No. 181 overall).
With their last pick (No. 224 overall) they drafted Georgia WR Javon Wims who has shown some solid pass-catching abilities but, like most seventh rounders, he will face an uphill battle to make it to the first team.
The Bears had a strong draft, underlined by the fact that unlike a lot of teams they addressed their areas of need (LB, OL & WR) in the very beginning of the draft.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions came into the Draft with some glaring needs in their run defense and their running game. It was up to new head coach Matt Patricia as to which area he would address early in the draft, he decided to go with the latter in which they had finished dead last in the league last season.
With the 20th overall pick in the draft the Detroit Lions drafted Arkansas C Frank Ragnow, a surprise pick so high up in the draft. However, Detroit's game plan was clear - improving the running game was going to be their main objective this year.
Ragnow was an exceptional performer at college level, never allowing a sack in his career, while many suggested a defensive lineman would have been a better pick but most of the elite talents were gone by the time the Lions were on the clock.
The Lions traded up to the 43rd overall pick to draft Auburn RB Kerryon Johnson, again a surprising pick considering Derrius Guice was still available. Johnson is still a power back in his own right, who finished with 42 touchdowns in his last two seasons. He might not start right away but by his second year he could end up as the Lions' lead back.
Their third pick (No. 82 overall) Louisiana S Tracy Walker appeared to be an overreach in the third round, especially considering that he himself thought he would go in the fifth round. Nonetheless, he did earn high praise from his third cousin and Lions cornerback Darius Slay. At this moment, he looks like a developmental player who can be a potential fit in the future.
With their 4th pick (No. 114 overall) they finally selected a DE in Da'Shawn Hand of Alabama, Hand has a lot of potential but his college production is something of a concern and the fact that the Lions gave up a 2019 third round pick for him makes Hand a considerable gamble.
The Lions drafted Oregon OL Tyrell Crosby (No. 153 overall) and San Diego State FB Nick Bawden (No. 237) with their last two picks. Crosby is a good pass-blocker who will most probably be a reserve as he looks to cement a spot in the team.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings set the offseason running when they signed the most high-profile free agent Kirk Cousins, signalling their intent of a 'win-now' philosophy and this draft was about adding the pieces for a Super Bowl campaign.
The cornerback position and the offensive line were the top needs for the Vikings going into the draft and they addressed these immediately. In the first round they selected UCF CB Mike Hughes with the 30th overall pick.
Standing at 5 foot 10, Hughes isn't the tallest corner in his class but he is aggressive and brings a sense of physicality which will be a great fit in the Vikings secondary. He will most likely begin his career in the special teams as Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes occupy the CB slots at the moment.
With their second pick (No. 62 overall) the Vikings drafted Pittsburgh OT Brian O'Neill. By the time they decided to fill the other glaring need in their squad in the second round the offensive line depth had decreased considerably, so they decided to go with a developmental prospect like O'Neill, who has to work on his weight and blocking technique before he makes the transition to the next level.
With their third pick (No. 102 overall) they drafted Ohio State DE Jalyn Holmes, who will provide some much-needed depth at the defensive end position. If the Vikings are to make a run for the Super Bowl, defensive rotation will be an important factor, as it will allow them to bring on fresh legs during games and keep the starters rested for the post-season.
The Vikings had two picks in the fifth round with which they drafted Central Michigan TE Tyler Conklin (No. 157 overall) and Auburn K Daniel Carlson (No. 167 overall). Conklin will act as a back up to Kyle Rudolph and will mostly be used in short-yardage situations but he still has to work on his game.
Carlson, on the other hand, was a surprising pick considering first team kicker Kai Forbath had just signed a new one-year deal but on a talent basis Carlson is a cluth player and will be one to watch in future seasons.
With two picks in the sixth round, the Vikings concentrated on small school prospects Appalachian State OG Colby Gossett (No. 213 overall) and Tulane DE Ade Aruna (No. 218 overall), both aren't starting-caliber players yet, but are in playing in positions that the Vikings are in dire need of. If they put in the work they can certainly be solid rotational players in the future.
The Vikings' last pick in the Draft was California LB Deante Downs (No. 225 overall), who is currently nursing a knee injury he sustained in his senior year, but even so he managed to finish second in his team in tackles (65) and sacks (3).
