The only constant you’ll find when attempting to gauge how NFL Draft pundits felt about the NFC North performed in the draft is that there is no constant. The grades are all over the map.
Some thought the Bears added a few pieces to make life significantly easier for Caleb Williams. Others thought it was overkill. Some believe the Lions did a good job of fortifying the trenches. Meanwhile, others thought they overvalued a few of their selections.
Everyone was surprised to see Green Bay finally address the receiver position in the first round. However, some were disappointed they didn’t address the cornerback position until the seventh. The Vikings are in a similar boat, as corner was arguably their most glaring need heading into the draft. While they didn’t leave the draft with a new cover man, they generally got good value from their five selections.
The results have been mixed, but virtually everyone believes the division landed some absolute steals. Here are some of the most significant ones.
Chicago Bears: Luther Burden III
Luther Burden III, formerly the top-ranked receiver and third overall player in the ’22 recruiting class, was one of the most electric offensive playmakers in the draft. The former five-star recruit wouldn’t have made it out of the top ten if he could have entered the league after his incredible sophomore season.
Burden lost some shine after an injury-riddled and inconsistent junior year where he had only 676 yards through the air. However, Chicago was thrilled to end his slide at pick 39. He will slide in right behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze on the depth chart.
I know the best coaches (which I fully Ben Johnson to be) adapt their schemes to their players. The bad ones usually tend to believe it is th other way around. The Bears don’t have an Amon-Ra St. Brown in their offense, just like the Lions don’t have two quality tight ends in Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland. However, the fact Burden ran over 81% of his routes from the slot, where St. Brown developed into one of the league’s premier slot receivers, throughout his collegiate career is impossible to ignore.
The Bears suddenly have one of the most talented pass-catching units in the league. Burden might not blow up the stat sheets, but I could see him eclipsing Keenan Allen’s numbers from last year. He will also provide added value in the return game and could even play out of the backfield if Ben Johnson wants to utilize him as a Swiss army knife.
Minnesota Vikings: Kobe King
The Vikings were already low on selections heading into the draft after trading up for Dallas Turner last year. They also moved down 30 spots on day three to acquire Sam Howell. I’m prefacing this entry with this information because it’s seemingly lost on the pundits who gave Minnesota poor draft grades.
They only had five selections, and two in the first four rounds, but still got good value with every pick. I almost included Tai Felton (who will push Jalen Nailor for playing time) here but opted to go with Kobe King since I believe he was an absolute steal with the 201st pick.
King has an eerily similar skill set to Ivan Pace Jr., who has quietly become one of the better middle ‘backers in the league. He is a rock-solid prospect who showed the ability to be a force against the run at Penn State.
While he might not have much of a role on passing downs, his path to playing time seems pretty clear. Fill gaps alongside Pace and Blake Cashman as an early-down thumper. That’s a role where he could legitimately thrive with Brian Flores calling the shots.
Detroit Lions: Tate Ratledge
The Lions clearly got the memo that this was a meat and potatoes draft, as four of their first five selections were along the trenches. They grabbed Ohio State defensive tackle Tyliek Williams with their first selection, but I’m not convinced he will be the best of the bunch. I believe that honor will belong to Tate Ratledge, whom the team selected with the 57th pick in the second.
Detroit targeting a guard in the second round wasn’t a surprise, as they lost Kevin Zeitler in the offseason. However, Ratledge being available late in the second round was pretty surprising. Christian Mahogany showed promise when he saw the field in year one, but the 2024 sixth-round pick probably won’t be able to hold off the former five-star recruit for long.
Luckily for Detroit, his play on the field matches the gritty appearance. A true kneecap-biter, if you will. It will be fun to see him develop under Campbell and new offensive coordinator (formerly O-line coach) John Morton. Ratledge will make at least two Pro Bowls before his rookie contract in the books. He’s THAT good.
Green Bay Packers: Barryn Sorrell
The selection of Barryn Sorrell produced one of the best moments on day three of the draft. He surprised fans by being in attendance for the event and was even selected by the hosting team.
Sorrell might not have received an invite to the draft as one of the premier players in the class, but he wouldn’t have made it out of day two in a less impressive edge class. In fact, he probably wouldn’t have made it out of the second round under different circumstances. The 22-year-old might not be as flashy as many of the edge rushers drafted ahead of him, but he has sound technique and a variety of pass-rushing moves.
The Packers are still waiting on Lukas Van Ness to take a step and live up to his first-round status. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Sorrell start eating into his playing time by season’s end. He started 40 games at the collegiate level and could be a surprise year-one contributor.
BONUS: Chicago Bears – Kyle Monangai
Much like the Bears couldn’t leave the draft without adding to their running back room, I couldn’t submit this article without talking about Kyle Monangai. Virtually everyone expected Chicago to prioritize the position before the seventh round, but they still landed a solid player in Kyle Monangai.
The 22-year-old was another player who fell through the cracks due to being buried in a stacked running back class. However, he was significantly more productive than many of the backs selected ahead of him. The Rutgers product was the engine that made the Scarlet Knights’ offense go over the past two seasons, and he had over 2500 yards and 21 touchdowns to show for it.
The last time we saw a Rutgers running back get drafted was Isiah Pacheco, who was also a seventh-round selection. While Monangai is a longshot to replicate Pacheco’s impact on Kansas City’s offense, he has a similar hard-nosed running style that could allow him to carve out a solid early-down role in the Windy City as soon as this year.
