Every team exits the NFL draft with a boost of confidence heading further into the offseason. It’s no different in the NFC North, where the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions all believe they made a dent in the draft. The effects will be felt immediately and down the road, one way or another.
Let’s dive in to how the selections by each team will dictate what happens in the division.
The Vikings wasted no time filling the void left by wide receiver Adam Thielen when they selected USC’s Jordan Addison at No. 23 overall. Addison is a bit on the smaller size at 5’11”, but he makes up for it with his shiftiness and speed.
Minnesota knew it needed another playmaker to force defenses to not double- or triple-team superstar Justin Jefferson. The hope for the Vikings is that Addison can be a plug-and-play option that draws eyeballs, or at least some, away from Jefferson. If it pans out the way the Vikings hope, their offense shouldn’t skip much of a beat in 2023, even with the Thielen’s exit.
Outside of that, Minnesota attacked a secondary that needed a bit of facelift following the departure of cornerback Patrick Peterson. The Vikings went right back to the USC well, selecting cornerback Mekhi Blackmon in the third round.
The way the Vikings approached the draft with their blueprint indicates that they expect to compete again for the division crown in 2023. Some thought they could lean quarterback early and perhaps trade up to do so. Minnesota didn’t but did take BYU signal caller Jaren Hall in the fifth round. For the immediate future, there’s no danger to Kirk Cousins; the moves the Vikings made are those of a team planning to still win now.
In Green Bay there’s a seismic shift taking place with quarterback Aaron Rodgers now in New York. Packers fans far and wide were hoping general manager Brian Gutekunst would take a wide receiver in the first round.
They didn’t, instead going with Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness.
Rest assured, though, Packers fans, the needs at wide receiver and tight end were given plenty of attention. When it was all said and done, Green Bay drafted three wide receivers and two tight ends with the premier selections coming on Day 2.
The Packers selected tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft in Rounds 2 and 3, respectively. Sandwiched between those two picks was the selection of Michigan State wide receiver Jayden Reed at No. 50 overall.
Look, the Packers are never going to use the word “rebuild” by any stretch of the imagination, but based off their lack of action in free agency and how they approached the draft, this is a team that’s willing to be patient in the first year with quarterback Jordan Love as the starter.
The method to the madness in the draft centered around getting Love some more options to work with but not using a first-rounder to do so. To put a bow on things, as many predicted, Green Bay drafted a quarterback to potentially be Love’s backup in Penn State’s Sean Clifford in the fifth round.
It’s a new era in Titletown.
Detroit had a fascinating draft for many reasons.
Had you been told the Lions’ first four picks, you likely would’ve gotten the order in which they were taken incorrect with multiple tries to guess.
The Lions surprised many when they took Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 overall. They would go on to trade running back D’Andre Swift on Saturday to Philadelphia for a fifth-rounder in 2025.
After that, the Lions took Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell at No. 18 overall. Many labeled the pick as one of the biggest surprises of the first round.
Detroit added another Hawkeye on Day 2 with tight end Sam LaPorta, and then had a gift fall into its lap with Alabama safety Brian Branch at 45. Many pegged Branch as a first-rounder heading into the show.
Branch could compete for a starting gig right away, and the same can be said for LaPorta. Gibbs could split duties with free-agent signing David Montgomery, and Campbell has the make of a prospect who could be a really good NFL starter for the next decade.
All of it signals a team and a franchise wanting to throw some punches right now, sensing a weakness elsewhere in the division. Detroit has never been the most calculated with its way of operations, and head coach Dan Campbell is certainly far from the norm when it comes to his style — but it’s worked so far.
Jared Goff is the quarterback now, but keep your eyes focused on third-round pick Hendon Hooker. The Lions scooped up the Tennessee product, who tore his ACL against South Carolina late last season. This could be a redshirt season for Hooker, with Goff at the controls. Then in 2024 there could be an open competition.
Detroit is ready to compete for an NFC North title now, and with its moves in the draft, is setup really well for the future as well.
Finally there’s Chicago, who had the No. 1-overall pick before trading it to Carolina.
The Bears are being patient and building from the inside out. They selected three interior defensive lineman in the draft and used their first pick, at No. 10 overall, on Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright.
It’s a clear indicator that Chicago is prioritizing the protection of quarterback Justin Fields. It gave him a new toy, too, with a fourth-round pick used on Cincinnati wide receiver Tyler Scott.
There was nothing flashy about Chicago’s draft, no big splash, and that’s likely just fine with them. They know this is a longer rebuild and a longer process and they’re collecting players now and getting future draft capital as well.
