Being known for having the worst team in football helps to put a big spotlight on the NFC North, a division that seems to have a lot of needs and not enough draft picks to fill them. The Detroit Lions did get their quarterback of the future with Matthew Stafford while the Packers started their conversion to a 3-4 defense by nabbing Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji and USC linebacker Clay Matthews. The Minnesota Vikings helped improve their offense by taking Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin and the Bears, with no first day picks, bolstered their offense and defense and are looking pretty good after the draft.
The following is a team by team look at the drafts of each team in the NFC North. Each team is graded as well.
Chicago Bears-The Bears failed to have a first day selection but made the most of it during the draft’s second day and picked up some good talent at the wide receiver position as well as some decent defensive talent. Jarron Gilbert could pay dividends for them in the future as may D.J. Moore. Joaquin Iglesias may be a starter at the wide receiver position at some point and if Johnny Knox can develop into a starter down the road, they could have some big time steals. Grade A-
Green Bay Packers-With the Packers converting to a 3-4 defense, they needed to go out and get some players that would help make the transition much easier. Raji will really help them out as will outside Matthews. They will also get some help from offensive tackle T.J. Lang and fullback Quinn Johnson. While the Packers may have been stagnant in free agency they did pretty well in the draft. Grade B+
Detroit Lions-The Lions made big headlines by signing quarterback Matthew Stafford making him the first pick in the draft as well as making him their future franchise quarterback. Things got a little confusing after that as with their second pick in the first round, they chose tight end Brandon Pettigrew when they could have used the pick for a defender. The later rounds were pretty productive however and this team has a good start for the future. Grade B+
Minnesota Vikings-The Vikings are a team known for taking risks and they rolled the dice, somewhat, by taking Florida wide receiver Percy Harvin, a player who is known to have some character issues. If Harvin can bury his past the wide receiving corps in Minnesota could turn out to be one of the best in the NFL. They didn’t do too bad with some of their other picks but they didn’t get enough help on the offensive line. Grade C+
By Bryan Dietzler
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