The 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, and teams are well underway in the process of picking through what’s left in free agency to fill the remaining gaps in their roster. After a bang to kick off night one with the Jacksonville Jaguars trading up for Travis Hunter, future firsts started to fly as front offices jockeyed for position in trades. Although the NFC North stayed relatively quiet on the splash moves front, all four teams made impact picks (with a few head-scratchers) that will influence the direction of the division for the next few years. While we’ll have to wait those years out to see whose class stands above the rest, today we can make some early judgments and begin to laugh at our rivals’ mistakes. It’s time to see how the rest of the sports world is reacting to the North’s picks, going from best to worst to find out whose rookie class is ready to shine.
Chicago Bears
Round 1, Pick 10
Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
Round 2, Pick 39
Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri
Round 2, Pick 56
Ozzy Trapilo, OT, Boston College
Round 2, Pick 62
Shemar Turner, DT, Texas A&M
Round 4, Pick 132
Ruben Hyppolite II, LB, Maryland
Round 5, Pick 169
Zah Frazier, DB, UTSA
Round 6, Pick 195
Luke Newman, G, Michigan State
Round 7, Pick 233
Kyle Monangai, RB, Rutgers
Grades
ESPN: B+
Yahoo Sports: B
CBS Sports: C+
The Ringer: A-
Charles McDonald, Yahoo:
Ben Johnson’s fingerprints were all over this draft for the Bears. Adding tight end Colston Loveland, wide receiver Luther Burden III and tackle Ozzy Trapilo were clear moves to try and improve Chicago’s offensive roster after last year’s disaster performance in Caleb Williams’ first year as the starting quarterback. Trapilo is a bit of a project and Burden might need a bit of refinement in his transition to the league, but if they hit their ceilings they could end up being strong, positive players for the Bears. Their offensive Round 2 picks are a bit risky, but not indefensible. Shemar Turner was a nice depth pick for the defensive line, but it felt early for him.
Minnesota Vikings
Round 1, Pick 24
Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State
Round 3, Pick 102
Tai Felton, WR, Maryland
Round 5, Pick 139
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Edge, Georgia
Round 6, Pick 201
Kobe King, LB, Penn State
Round 6, Pick 202
Gavin Bartholomew, TE, Pittsburgh
Grades
ESPN: B-
Yahoo Sports: C
CBS Sports: C+
The Ringer: C
Charles McDonald, Yahoo:
The Vikings had a nice first pick with Donovan Jackson to bolster their offensive line, but they didn’t really have too much draft capital to add impact players as the draft went on. That’s OK because they got Jackson at the top of it. Perhaps Kobe King or Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins can develop and provide depth to Minnesota’s front seven.
Green Bay Packers
Round 1, Pick 23
Matthew Golden, WR, Texas
Round 2, Pick 54
Anthony Belton, OT, NC State
Round 3, Pick 87
Savion Williams, WR, TCU
Round 4, Pick 124
Barryn Sorrell, DL, Texas
Round 5, Pick 159
Collin Oliver, LB, Oklahoma State
Round 6, Pick 198
Warren Brinson, DT, Georgia
Round 7, Pick 237
Micah Robinson, DB, Tulane
Round 7, Pick 250
John Williams, G, Cincinnati
Grades
ESPN: B
Yahoo Sports: B
CBS Sports: B
The Ringer: C+
Danny Kelly, The Ringer:
I found it a bit curious that the Packers took receivers with two of their first three picks, adding more playmaking talent to an already crowded skill group. Texas receiver Matthew Golden offers excellent speed, shifty route-running skills, and a ball-winner mentality, giving Jordan Love another big-play guy—but I’m just not sure he profiles as a true no. 1, which is really what the team needed most. Meanwhile, TCU’s Savion Williams is a Cordarrelle Patterson–type pass catcher; he’s got work to do as a route runner but offers the athleticism and versatility to line up all over the formation, including the backfield. The Packers also beefed up in the trenches, adding a colossal offensive lineman in NC State’s Anthony Belton, as well as a power rusher in Texas’s Barryn Sorrell. Altogether, this is a fine haul for the Pack, but I’m not sure it’s a group that will put the team over the top.
Detroit Lions
Round 1, Pick 28
Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
Round 2, Pick 57
Tate Ratledge, OG, Georgia
Round 3, Pick 70
Isaac TeSlaa, WR, Arkansas
Round 5, Pick 171
Miles Frazier, G, LSU
Round 6, Pick 196
Ahmed Hassanein, Edge, Boise State
Round 7, Pick 230
Dan Jackson, S, Georgia
Round 7, Pick 244
Dominic Lovett, WR, Georgia
Grades
ESPN: C+
Yahoo Sports: B
CBS Sports: C-
The Ringer: C+
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports:
This isn’t a draft that I loved, which is a departure from their recent drafts. Williams is a good player, but was that really a need? Why not an edge? Third-round receiver Isaac TeSlaa is a project who didn’t do a lot in college and they traded up to get him. Fifth-round guard Miles Frazier has starting experience.
All in all, the two teams with the best drafts by consensus were the Packers and the Bears. As is evidenced by the Packers’ signing of Isaiah Simmons and the Bears possibly, maybe signing Nick Chubb, there is no doubt work to be done, but both teams established a clear identity throughout the weekend. Near the middle of the spectrum, the Detroit Lions were dinged across the board for their third-round pick Isaac TeSlaa, who does not exactly fit the team’s contending timeline. The Vikings did what they could with extremely limited draft capital. With only one pick in the top 100, Minnesota was always going to face an uphill battle but did well nabbing Donovan Jackson, who will start inside immediately.
How do you think the NFC North did in the draft? Did the Packers and Vikings do enough to secure control of a division title in 2025? Did the Bears catapult themselves into that conversation with a Ben Johnson-heavy draft? Sound off in the comments below and stay tuned for more offseason coverage as workouts get underway.