NFC North Round-Up: Grading Each Team’s First-Round Picks

NFC North Round-Up: Grading Each Team's First-Round Picks
Oct 15, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) catches a pass against the Utah Utes in the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft is officially behind us, and now, it’s time to look at the round in a wider view as the dust settles. In this latest edition of the NFC North Round-Up, here are some grades for each NFC North team’s draft picks from Thursday night.

Chicago Bears

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Round 1, Pick 10: OT Darnell Wright

Grade: A-

Darnell Wright is a very sturdy offensive lineman, and he specialized at right tackle throughout his time at Tennessee, even though he spent time at each spot. Justin Fields needs a consistent tackle duo that can keep his jersey clean on a weekly basis, and the Bears are working towards accomplishing that here.

Especially considering the fact that Chicago managed to add an additional pick in next year’s draft to move down a single spot and still land their guy, this is a wonderful pick.

Detroit Lions

Dec 31, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Jahmyr Gibbs (1) runs the ball against the Kansas State Wildcats during the second half in the 2022 Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

Round 1, Pick 12: RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Grade: D+

Honestly, unless the Detroit Lions truly believed that they wouldn’t be able to get Jahmyr Gibbs with the 18th overall pick (an idea that I don’t quite buy into), then this selection doesn’t make much sense. Gibbs is an explosive pass-catcher out of the backfield, but he will have his struggles trying to run between the tackles.

At the end of the day, even if they are trying to move D’Andre Swift at some point this offseason, if they wanted to get a workhorse RB in this class, they may have been better off just staying at No. 6 and taking Bijan Robinson. We also have to remember that the ink is still wet from David Montgomery’s contract. This just doesn’t feel like a need right now worth filling with a top-15 pick in an extremely deep RB class.

Round 1, Pick 18: LB Jack Campbell

Grade: C

Again, this feels like a massive reach by the Lions in the middle of the first round, but it’s more understandable based on need. This isn’t a very deep linebacker class, and if a few go off the board in the span of a few picks, a team could miss out entirely. That being said, it feels like the Lions once again jumped the gun with this pick. There is a very real chance that we don’t see another LB go off the board before the 50th overall pick. If that’s the case, we may have to consider lowering this grade closer to the Gibbs range.

Green Bay Packers

Vikings Draft Thermometer: EDGE Lukas Van Ness
Oct 29, 2022; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness (91) reacts against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Round 1, Pick 13: EDGE Lukas Van Ness

Grade: A

The Packers certainly needed some pass-rushing talent, and they couldn’t have done much better here than Lukas Van Ness. He’s a very bendy athlete while also being much more of a prototypical NFL size rather than, say, a Nolan Smith.

There was an argument to be made for Green Bay to take a receiver, especially in a post-Aaron Rodgers era, but that simply has never been their route of attack in the draft.

Minnesota Vikings

Oct 15, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) catches a pass against the Utah Utes in the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

Round 1, Pick 23: WR Jordan Addison

Grade: B

Look, Jordan Addison is probably going to be just fine with the Vikings. He’ll fit into the offense alongside Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson, and Minnesota will average something like 30 points per game next year.

That being said, I cannot in good faith give this grade an A while also looking at cornerback, a position that I’ve harped on as a massive need all offseason, and seeing both Joey Porter Jr. and Deonte Banks available when this pick happened. Clearly, though, the Vikings front office has big time faith in the 2022 Draft class by avoiding the position.

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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