Draft Nation’s Focus: NFC North

Now that the AFC is finished it’s time for Draft Nation to take a look at draft targets in the NFC, starting with the NFC North. With many of the teams in the division in transitionary periods, each team’s needs in the draft will vary.

Ian Stuart Martin breaks down intriguing options for the Bears, Packers, Vikings, and Lions. 

Bears:

The Chicago Bears and head coach Ben Johnson need to help former first-overall pick Caleb Williams desperately. Williams was the most sacked quarterback in the NFL last year, getting sacked sixty-eight times. Because of this, the Bears and Johnson will be looking at blue-chip offensive prospects in the first round of this year's draft.

• Ashton Jeanty (RB, Boise State) - As covered in Draft Nation’s Focus: AFC West, Ashton Jeanty is one of the best football players in this year’s draft. The Bears could consider trading up if they hear the Raiders are planning on drafting Jeanty. Jeanty’s rare to elite contact balance means even at the NFL level opposing teams will have to gameplan around stopping him.

This will relieve pressure on Caleb Williams. Under Matt Eberflus, there were several times during games in 2024 when it was clear the team was asking Caleb to come up with a big play by himself. Jeanty’s presence will open passing lanes for Caleb and allow him to more easily read defenses as they dedicate resources to slowing down Jeanty. 

• Will Campbell (T, LSU) - Will Campbell would be an excellent pickup for the Chicago Bears. Campbell is one of the best offensive line prospects in the draft this year. Campbell isn’t perfect with less than ideal arm length but he makes up for this with a high motor and constant drive. There are several examples on tape of Campbell starting off om a pass protection rep losing (and in bad leverage) when he suddenly finds a good angle to plant and brace. In an instant, the rep flips, and the pass rushers are stopped in their tracks.

The Bears added Joe Thuney from the Chiefs this offseason and Jonah Jackson from the Rams to bolster the offensive line and Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright have developed well within the Bears system. If Thuney starts to show his age or if Jackson doesn’t mesh with Ben Johnson’s new wide zone blocking scheme, having a player like Will Campbell will help. A team can never have enough quality offensive linemen to protect their franchise quarterback. 

Packers:

The Green Bay Packers and head coach Matt LaFleur need to improve their team this year. The Lions have dethroned the Packers as the obvious kings of the NFC North, and they need to pick up playmakers in this year's draft if they want to go from being a good playoff team to a contender.

• Will Johnson (DB, Michigan) - The Packers secondary needs help desperately. Carrington Valentine has shown improvement, Jaire Alexander is still a solid corner, Keisean Nixon can pass rush and return punts, and new addition Nate Hobbs can provide solid starting-level play. But the Packers don’t have a standout clear number one at the position. 

Will Johnson has the physical profile to cover the number one receiver on NFL teams and moves very fluidly. He plays with elite body control and has higher-end strength for players of the position. His decisiveness is what makes him appear dynamic on film as does his football IQ. He reads plays quickly and efficiently and ends up somewhere near the ball on every play. He is constantly hunting the opposing quarterback’s eyes and jumping routes just as they start. 

The Packers would need to trade up in the draft to get Johnson, but he has the tools and ability making it worth it. 

• Matthew Golden (WR, Texas) - Matthew Golden is one of the best prospects available to fill Green Bay’s need at wide receiver. Christian Watson, the Packer’s WR1 needs more time to recover from his ACL tear last year. What made Watson such an important part of their offense was he and Bo Melton were the only two players who run a sub 4.40 forty-yard dash for the team. The Packers did sign Mecole Hardman, but he had knee surgery in January. 

Golden ran the fastest forty for wide receivers in this year’s Combine (4.29) and getting another speedster with incredible cuts and deceleration will help the Pack to stretch opposing defensive backfields. 

The Packers may need to trade up to get Golden as most mock drafts show him getting taken a few picks earlier by other wide receiver needy teams. 

Vikings:

The Vikings and head coach Kevin O’Connell will need to make the most of their limited draft capital at the 2025 NFL Draft. With only four picks total the Vikings could consider trading down in order to get more talent in the later rounds or stay pat if certain players fall to them at pick twenty-four. 

If They Fall to Twenty-Four: 

• Jahdae Barron (DB, Texas) - Jahdae is an incredibly good prospect. However, his lack of ability to play in man coverage might make him slip further down the draft board. If he does, the Vikings would have a great zone corner who has the talent to potentially replace the aging Harrison Smith at free safety.

• Malaki Starks (S, Georgia) - Starks is a boom or bust prospect. Starks showed on film that he has all the tools to play at the next level. But his technique is rough around the edges when looking for pursuit angles and against man coverage. Good coaching can fix these issues. If they aren’t,, then Starks doesn’t have the athleticism to cover up those weaknesses. He could use a year behind Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus to learn from solid starters in the NFL.

• Josh Simmons (T, Ohio State) - Josh Simmons is another player that can fall in the draft due to his knee injury last October. Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill are both elite tackles in the NFL. But Darrisaw had a scary ACL and MCL tear last year, and O’Neill will be in the last year of his deal. Darrisaw is expected to be healthy by the start of the regular season but adding another blue-chip tackle to the room who doesn’t have to start immediately and has time to recover from his knee injury would solidify offensive tackle for the next several years.

If They Trade Down:

• Tyler Booker (G, Alabama) - Meet your new starting left guard Vikings fans. Blake Brandel’s replacement is a bear in human form. Booker is a 6’5” 321-pound monster with massive eleven-inch hands and an all-consuming 6’11” wingspan. He is a true man-mover who has three years of proving that title against SEC competition. In interviews at the combine, Booker said, “The thing I love most about football is taking the love away from other people.” His downside is he can’t move well. His footwork lacks and his forty time was 5.38 seconds. If his footwork improves and he learns technique that goes beyond his physical size, he can be a Pro Bowl player. 

• Shavon Revel Jr. (CB, East Carolina) - Shavon Revel Jr. is one of the best athletes in the draft. He is a very raw talent who needs time to develop. While at East Carolina he displayed incredible agility and speed for a corner with a 6’3” 194-pound frame. Revel would instantly be one of the best man coverage corners for the Vikings, but today’s defenses lean toward zone defenses. Revel will need time to develop his game and feeling for zone duties but if he does, he will easily become a top corner in the league. In the meantime Revel will be an amazing gunner on special teams and will dazzle there his rookie year.

Lions:

The Lions and Dan Campbell had their hearts broken losing to the Commanders in the playoffs. The biggest weakness for the Lions is their second edge rusher. Aiden Hutchinson needs a running mate, and Marcus Davenport has too many injuries to consistently be that number two. They need some additional Dan Campbell-style kneecap biters to improve their defense at pick twenty-eight.

• Josaiah Stewart (EDGE, Michigan) - Stewart will fall to late in the first because he doesn’t have the prototypical size of an edge rusher. However, despite playing alongside top prospects like Kenneth Grant and Mason Graham, Stewart led the team in sacks with 8.5 and tackles for loss with 13. Stewart, the undersized edge rusher was promoted to team captain halfway through the season. He is an incredibly violent and a scary bulldog of a player. He has a constant motor and seems to invite contact from offensive tackles. Stewart will need to add some more set-up and counters at the NFL level but those can be taught. Having a player who is already a vicious rusher who eats space to get to tackles early, and is an above-average run defender makes him an obvious Dan Campbell pick. He would also be playing opposite of Aidan Hutchinson meaning he will have more one-on-ones.

• Bradyn Swinson (EDGE, LSU) - The Lions can look to trade back to the second round to pick up Swinson. Swinson led LSU’s defense in TFL with 13 and sacks with 8.5. Just like Stewart, he is undervalued because of his size and testing numbers. However, picking up high-motor edge rushers who are defined by their aggressiveness is what Campbell and the Lions have built their identity around. Adding a player whose only major need is to put on weight is a simple fix.