NFC North Draft Grades

The Lions and Vikings stole the show with a huge division trade. The first linebacker off the board was Quay Walker, and he was +180 at FanDuel right before the draft. 

The NFL Draft provides hope for fans and gives us a good outlook on what teams value and where they think they are in the league hierarchy. Here are my draft grades and odds for each team to win the division. All odds are courtesy of FanDuel.

[ NFC East | NFC West | NFC South | NFC North ] 

Chicago Bears

The Bears went into the draft with only six picks and came out with 11. Considering the Bears have one of the worst rosters in the NFL, that’s good news for Bears fans. The bad news is that the players they drafted aren’t very intriguing. 

I like Jaquon Brisker in the second round, but this draft class is boring and old. Velus Jones Jr, who was taken in the third round will be 25 Week 1 and is older than A.J. Brown. They drafted three other 24-year-olds. Drafting older players doesn’t tend to work out well. The Bears are +950 to win the NFC North via FanDuel. 

Grade: C

Detroit Lions

The Lions knocked this draft out of the park. They landed Aidan Hutchinson with the second overall pick, who grew up 30 minutes from Ford Field. He will be the anchor of that defense for years to come. My favorite move of the draft was trading up to land Jameson Williams. They essentially only traded a second-round pick to jump 20 spots to take the talented and speedy wide receiver. 

They had some great day 2 and 3 picks to wrap up a great draft class. The Lions are +950 to win the NFC North via FanDuel. 

Grade: A

Green Bay Packers

They landed Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt in the first round. Drafting Georgia defensive players isn’t a bad strategy, but Wyatt has some concerns. He was charged with three misdemeanors in 2020 and is 24 years old. 

Romeo Doubs in the fourth round was a great pick. He should be able to contribute day one, and Kingsley Enagbare in the fifth round is a high upside pick. They made 11 picks and did a good job finding value in the back half of the first round. The Packers are the favorites to win the NFC North at -180 via FanDuel. 

Grade: B+

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings moved back from 12 to 32 and did not get enough in return. They went into the draft with 8 picks and ended with 10. I like Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth, but this isn’t an inspiring draft class for Vikings fans. The Vikings are +300 to win the NFC North via FanDuel. 

Grade: B-

NFC North Draft Grades article from 2021 – May 4, 2021

With the Packers still the favorites to win the division at -115, all eyes will be on Aaron Rodgers over the next couple of months. Will he stay? Will he go? Time will tell. 

The NFL Draft provides hope for fans and gives us a good outlook on what team values, and where they think they are in the league hierarchy. Here are my draft grades and odds for each team to win the division. All odds are courtesy of BetRivers: 

[ NFC East | NFC West | NFC South | NFC North ] 

NFL North 2021 Draft Grades

Chicago Bears

All Bears fans around the world united in a big cheer and sigh of relief when GM Ryan Pace traded up nine sports to draft quarterback Justin Fields. He instantly becomes the most talented quarterback that the Bears organization has had in a very long time. 

They traded up again in the second round to select offensive tackle Teven Jenkens. That’s a crazy good haul in the first two rounds. Dazz Newsome and Khalil Herbert were also good picks in the sixth round. Good work, Ryan Pace. The Bears are +325 to win the division according to BetRivers

Grade: A

Detroit Lions

Yes, the Detroit Lions actually had a good draft. I never thought I would ever say that in my lifetime. Getting Penei Sewell in the first round was a homerun. He is arguably the best offensive player in the draft, and will become a building block for an offense that severely lacks young talent. 

Adding Amon-Ra St.Brown and Ifeatu Melifonwu in the third and fourth rounds were also great picks. Overall, a good weekend for the new regime in Detroit. The Lions are +2000 to win the division according to BetRivers

Grade: A-

Green Bay Packers

I’m sure Packers fans had their mind elsewhere the majority of the weekend. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Aaron Rodgers is unhappy in Green Bay and many inside the organization believe he will never play another game in Green Bay again. Ouch. 

Overall, their draft was fine. Eric Stokes in the first round has some high upside, however his ball skills did scare many teams away. Amari Rodgers provides a different element to their offense, as they have never had a guy who can take jet sweeps and short passes for big gains. The Packers are still the favorites to win the division at -115 according to BetRivers.

Grade: B-

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have made 38 picks in the last three drafts. Unbelievable. I am a huge fan of drafting for volume. More darts at the dart board. That’s how you build a winning organization. 

Trading back and getting Christian Darrisaw in the first round was perfect. Kellen Mond in the second round was worth the swing, as he has some raw traits to work with. The Vikings made 11 selections in total. The Vikings are +250 to win the division according to BetRivers

Grade: A