The NFC North is a tough division, and every year it seems to get tougher. In a tough division, it’s important to execute the draft. So let’s look at the NFC North teams best and worst picks.
Detroit Lions
Best Pick- Offensive Tackle Tyrell Crosby
Many regarded Crosby as a 2nd/3rd-round talent. However, Crosby fell to the 5th round. There is no clear reason why he fell. Some think it’s because he has had concussion problems in the past, some think it’s because of how bad his hips are. The biggest possibility seems like there is no obvious position for him on the offensive line. However, many think he’s best suited for right tackle, and the Lions need an upgrade at that position. Crosby is a great run blocker, and will win in pass protection. It’s not impossible for Crosby to start this year, but it might be in his best interest to sit a year. But, he’ll likely be a starter soon for the Lions, and this year he will be a great player off the bench.
Worst Pick- Safety Tracy Walker
The Lions must of saw something in Walker that the rest of us didn’t, as most labeled him as a 5th-round talent. The Lions took him in the 3rd round, and that made people confused for many reasons. Other than the fact that he was projected round five, the Lions already have great depth in their safety position with Tavon Wilson, Glover Quinn, and Miles Killebrew. Now they are set to hit free agency in 2020, but they still have a couple of years. There was no reason for the Lions to panic and reach for a safety that needs to develop.
Minnesota Vikings
Best Pick- Defensive End Jalyn Holmes
Holmes is a versatile defensive end. He can play inside and outside. Holmes was a part of an extremely talented defensive line at The Ohio State University. The Vikings got a great pass rusher on day three of the draft. The Vikings added a great depth to a loaded position.
Worst Pick- Defensive End Ade Aruna
Aruna had a great combine, that included a 4.6 forty time. He’s a great athlete, and you could argue that he has a lot of upside. However, Aruna wasn’t the most productive during his career at Tulane. He only recorded twelve sacks in his four years of playing. Once blockers distributed him off the edge, he was easily blocked. It was easy for blockers to get inside his frame and drive him back. The Vikings have a stacked defensive end group, which is good and bad news for Aruna. He’ll be lucky to make the Vikings team this year. However, him being in such a great group means he has a lot of people around him to help. That doesn’t change that Aruna likely won’t be playing for quite some time.
Green Bay Packers
Best Pick- Cornerback Josh Jackson
The Packers’ secondary struggled tremendously last year, and they made sure to fix that. After taking cornerback Jaire Alexander in the first, they took another cornerback in Josh Jackson in the second. Many argued Jackson as a 1st-round talent, and it seemed like he slipped into the 2nd round because of the depth of the corners in the 1st round. Jackson has great zone coverage, and is a nightmare to throw his way. When quarterbacks throw his way, they’re likely not going to complete it. The average competition percentage when throwing in Jackson’s way at Iowa was just 41.3%. If Jackson can get up to speed, he’ll be a lockdown corner for years to come. In the meantime, him and Jaire will make a great young corner duo.
Worst Pick- Wide Receiver J’Mon Moore
The Packers selected three wide receivers, and out of the three, Moore seemed to be the one that didn’t make the most sense. He was a productive player at Missouri, with 1,082 yards last year and 10 touchdowns. However, he’s very raw. He had drop issues last year, and that’ll carry over into the NFL. Moore has potential to be a real good number two receiver, but he needs to fix his catching, route running, and more before that happens.
Chicago Bears
Best Pick- Center James Daniels
Between the top three centers of the draft(Frank Ragnow, Billy Price, and James Daniels) Daniels is considered to have the most upside. Daniels is nineteen years young, and is extremely athletic. He was thought to go in the 1st round, but numerous people think he slid because of his lack of experience and leadership. Leadership is key, as centers are the leaders of the offensive line. Daniels will grow leadership the more he plays. The Bears got a future stud in Daniels.
Worst Pick- Linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe
Try saying Iyiegbuniwe ten times real fast. Obviously the Bears are trying to beef up their linebacker position. However, Iyiegbuniwe didn’t have a true linebacker position at Western Kentucky. He played inside and outside linebacker. He had his best year while playing inside, but will struggle to get playing time. Iyiegbuniwe’s role will likely be limited to special teams.