Around the NFC North: Mock Draftin' to the Oldies

What's more fun than off-season mock draft simulations? You can trade whoever for whatever and make sure all your draft crushes end up on the Packers. In today's Around the NFC North we're going to do the unthinkable: try to make the other horrid teams in the division better. Let's go through some mocks. 

Chicago Bears

Let's start with the trade. The Bears are almost certain to trade down and up 'til this week the Colts were the most likely partner. Now that Jalen Carter may not go top 5, I think the Raiders could be the best bet.

The Bears get a few extra picks from Las Vegas and move down to 7 where they take Tyree Wilson and then follow that up with Andre Carter in the second round. Neither of these guys is the 3-Tech that Eberflus needs to run his defense, but assuming they can sign Javon Hargrave in free agency, these top two picks go a long way toward setting up a string d-line. For a coach like Eberflus, who very rarely blitzes, a strong d-line is step 1. 

The Bears also add Sydney Brown, Tre'vius Hodges-Tomlinson, and Moro Ojomo to the defense in this draft and still take four offensive guys, including Georgia QB Stetson Bennett.  None of those offensive players are likely to have a strong, immediate, impact but with a roster as bereft of talent as the Bears', it's going to take a few years to build up depth. 

Detroit Lions

The Lions start the draft with a bang taking combine favorite Anthony Richardson, who they reportedly watched play 5 times this past season. Richardson had risen so much in the past few days that the Lions may have to trade up to take him at this point. He likely won't be a starter in year 1, but that's fine with Jared Goff ready to go. 

The Lions got that close to making the playoffs last year with Goff at QB running a top 5 offense, but you can't depend on a Jared Goff top-5 offense going forward. This is the first step toward an offense that can be great for a decade. It could also spell a total regime change after a few seasons. 

The next four picks, poor man's Aaron Donald, two big 10 linebackers, and Eli Ricks, are all defenders. You could argue every one of them is a boom or bust pick. The Lions have had a taste of success and this type of draft is a huge gamble on the future. Anything from no second contracts to five future pro bowlers is possible.

Minnesota Vikings

This is one of those insane mock draft simulator scenarios. I can't imagine JSN would fall to Minnesota but if he did they should turn the card in for him immediately. Try to imagine a better way to take pressure off Justin Jefferson. An offense with those two wide receivers and Dalvin Cook is top five, even with Kirk Cousins (or Stetson Bennett, ha) at QB.

After that, the third and fourth-round picks all go to defense. The Vikings are pretty solid on offense outside the second receiver and QB so it makes sense to try to reform the roster in Brian Flores' image. Brooks is an interior rusher in sub packages and run stuffer on base downs, Ricks is the man corner Minnesota desperately needs, and Dorian Williams is a rare cover first linebacker. 

Green Bay Packers

I don't usually write about the Packers in Around the NFC North, but I figured you'd want to cleanse your pallet with some Packers optimism here. Starting with a trade of Aaron Rodgers to the Jets for a first and second. I'm writing this on Sunday night and by the time it goes up on Monday afternoon, we may know what's really happening with Rodgers, but for now, I wanted to have the most fun possible with this mock. 

The two firsts turn into Skoronski and JSN. Most draft pundits say Skoronski is probably better off as a guard, but in Green Bay, I'd put him at right tackle to start. That way you can put Zach Tom at center, make Skoronski your swing back-up guard (with Tom moving to right tackle), and bring Myers in if Tom has to start at LT for Bakh. If it doesn't work out at RT, Runyan is probably gone soon anyway and Skoronski can slide into RG. At WR, JSN is the ideal receiver to pair next to Christian Watson, and having two strong (possibly elite) pass catchers is imperative for young QBs. 

After that we take the reincarnation of Marcedes Lewis and a potential slot corner if Rasul Douglas is moved to safety and then trade the third-round pick. If I were Gute, I'd never take a player with a third-round pick again. In this scenario, the pick plus a late round pick are sent to Houston in exchange for Brandin Cooks. Cooks may not be as explosive as he once was, but he adds a strong veteran presence to the locker room and makes it so opposing defense can't target Watson with over-the-top coverage. 

 

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Mike Price is a lifelong Packers fan who recently moved form Utah to Stoughton (a Madison suberb). You can follow him on twitter at @themikeprice.

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Comments (12)

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BirdDogUni's picture

March 06, 2023 at 05:08 pm

If that is our first five rounds, I would be very disappointed...

Sure you're not a bares fan? SMH

Sure you're not trolling us?

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BirdDogUni's picture

March 06, 2023 at 05:20 pm

1. Skoronski is best suited to play Guard in the NFL and I would not draft a Guard at 13th Overall.

2. NFL.com has eight WRs ranked ahead of Njigba... 8! So, I don't think I would draft him in the first round at all.

3. Darnell Washington is a beast and I have no problem drafting him in the 2nd round. In fact, I would draft him ahead of Njigba.

4. Even PFF thinks drafting Garrett Williams at 45th overall is a poor pick with a D+ grade, but they also gave you a D+ for Washington too, so they're not that smart... ; )

5. No problem with Perry or Ojomo.

I think drafting DRT is a terrible idea, but that's just me.

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mrtundra's picture

March 09, 2023 at 08:25 am

Yeah, I don't understand the D+ rating for Washington. I also would take him in the 2nd, over Njigba Smith.

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Duhawk_47's picture

March 06, 2023 at 05:29 pm

I know it's a just a mock draft, but I am curious, in this scenario, what you think the packers are going to do about Edge /Pass rush depth if not addressed in the draft?

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BirdDogUni's picture

March 06, 2023 at 06:24 pm

Spend millions in Cap space we don't have on a FA of course, but at least we got a Guard in Skoronski... SMH

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BirdDogUni's picture

March 06, 2023 at 06:34 pm

Well, he still has 4 or 5 7th round picks he could address Edge/OLBer with... ; P

My Dad always said, don't start something if you're not going to finish it...

(IDK if that includes Mock Drafts or not, but I would assume so!) ; P

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Duhawk_47's picture

March 11, 2023 at 12:13 am

LOL killed me with the 4 or 5 7th rounders…thanks for the laugh!

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BirdDogUni's picture

March 06, 2023 at 08:14 pm

I traded Aaron Rodgers to the Raiders for 7, 38, R1 '24, and R2 '25...

Then I traded 7 to the Panthers for 9, 39, and they drafted Richardson.

Then I traded 9 to Houston for 12 and 33...

R1: 12 Broderick Jones LT Georgia

Then I traded our 15 to the Chargers for 21 and 53

R1: 21 Nolan Smith OLBer Georgia

R2: 33 Darnell Washington TE Georgia (We all know how much Gutey love guys with the G on their helmets.)

R2: 38 Dawand Jones RT Ohio State

R2: 39 Andre Carter II OLBer ARMY

R2: 45 Darius Rush CB South Carolina

R2: 53 Sydney Brown S Illinois

R3: 78 Devon Achane RB Texas A&M

R4: 116 Owen Pappoe LB Auburn

R5: 151 Elijah Higgins WR Stanford

R5: 171 Jakorian Bennett CB Maryland

R7: 234 Stetson Bennett QB Georgia

R7: 237 Zack Kuntz TE Old Dominion

R7: 244 Brandon Hill S Pittsburgh

R7: 256 Evan Hull RB Northwestern

R7: 259 Jake Moody K Michigan

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Duhawk_47's picture

March 11, 2023 at 12:16 am

That’s one hell of a draft class right there. If only!

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Rarescope's picture

March 06, 2023 at 10:52 pm

“I don't usually write about the Packers in Around the NFC North…”

After seeing your Packers mock draft I think you should probably stick to that policy. Now I haven’t done a mock draft once in my life and can do nothing but shake my head at the “trade every pick 9x to draft an entire team” fantasies some people seem to like doing, but words escape me on what the heck you were thinking here. You traded ARod, and yet somehow managed to avoid every position of glaring need other than TE and completely wasted the picks you did have on one of our best position groups. With this level of incompetence maybe you should submit a resume to MLF, bet he’d make you DC in a heartbeat.

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BirdDogUni's picture

March 06, 2023 at 11:16 pm

“trade every pick 9x to draft an entire team” fantasies some people seem to like doing..."

I resemble that remark... Lol

In my defense, I normally don't trade 5 or 6 times... Usually only AR12 but it was just too easy above... ; P

"You traded ARod, and yet somehow managed to avoid every position of glaring need other than TE and completely wasted the picks you did have on one of our best position groups. With this level of incompetence maybe you should submit a resume to MLF, bet he’d make you DC in a heartbeat."

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA... *Well played Sir... Well played.

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Rarescope's picture

March 13, 2023 at 01:03 pm

lol it may have been one of your mocks that prompted some of my comment - if not you then Leatherhead :P Glad you were able to see the humor in it.

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