Another year, another NFL Draft has come and gone. While the atmosphere wasn’t as electric and energetic as last year in Detroit, Green Bay did an alright job hosting the draft in 2025.
The Detroit Lions won the NFC North divisional title in back-to-back years for the first time, and the other teams in the NFC North will try their best to stop the Lions from completing a three-peat. The Minnesota Vikings were just one game away from the divisional crown last year. The Green Bay Packers were competitive and made the playoffs, but couldn’t finish strong. Finally, there were the Chicago Bears, who couldn’t match the hype they had and ended the year in last place.
Let’s go through each NFC North team’s draft, who they picked, and how they improved to become a divisional threat in 2025.
Detroit Lions
Picks:
Round 1: DT Tyleik Williams
Round 2: OG Tate Ratledge
Round 3: WR Isaac TeSlaa
Round 5: G Miles Frazier
Round 6: DE Ahmed Hassanein
Round 7: S Dan Jackson
Round 7: WR Dominic Lovett
The Lions were quiet in free agency back in March, focusing more on keeping their players, signing a few outside free agents. One position group that needed some help was on the defensive line, and the Lions addressed that group by taking defensive tackle Tyleik Williams in the first round. While it wasn’t at the defensive end position that a majority thought the team needed, it was still a helpful pick that can instantly impact the defensive line for Detroit.
The trenches continued to get help, but this time on the offensive side as the Lions took guard Tate Ratledge in the second round after trading up. Ratledge will come in and compete for a starting guard job, and he will bring his toughness to the team.
Brad wasn’t done trading up as he got Isaac TeSlaa in the third to be a future starting X wide receiver. That pick was for the future, and so was the final trade in the fifth round to get guard Miles Frazier. Frazier was a steal for the team, and he could compete to start in 2025, but I see him more as a 2026/2027 possible contender to start.
To round out the rest of the draft, Holmes went with a defensive end, finally, in Ahmed Hassanein in the sixth round. H is a project they can work on as a potential starter down the line. Safety Dan Jackson and wide receiver Dominic Lovett are looking to be special team contributors and depth pieces for the future.
Overall, Detroit improved its defensive and offensive line depth, and thought about the future in the secondary and at wide receiver. The class wasn’t an explosive set of additions, but a thoughtful plan for the future.
Minnesota Vikings
Picks:
Round 1: OG Donovan Jackson
Round 3: WR Tai Felton
Round 5: DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
Round 6: LB Kobe King
Round 6: TE Gavin Bartholomew
The Vikings drafted the smallest class out of the four teams in the division, and not much top-level talent is arriving in Minnesota. Donovan Jackson will be a starting guard for the Vikings and will be important to keep their new quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, upright. McCarthy also got a new weapon in Tai Felton, who could see early playing time as starting wide receiver Jordan Addison could be suspended by the NFL for his DUI in July last year.
The rest of the picks are depth additions for the team, as Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins can help bolster the defensive line that saw some changes in free agency. Linebacker Kobe King can bring some helpful depth at the linebacker spot, which is possibly their strongest unit on defense. Tight end Gavin Bartholomew is a TE3 option for the team, with a chance to move up to TE2 if he can improve, and also gives the team more options if starter T.J. Hockenson suffers an injury.
Overall, this class is possibly the weakest of the division. With a team that was only one game away from winning the division, usually not much needs to change, but it feels like the Vikings could have done more to give them a shot at being back in the divisional title picture. Their free agent class was strong, so maybe they believe they didn’t need to do much in the draft.
Green Bay Packers
Picks:
Round 1: WR Matthew Golden
Round 2: OT Anthony Belton
Round 3: WR Savion Williams
Round 4: DE Barryn Sorrell
Round 5: LB Collin Oliver
Round 6: DT Warren Brinson
Round 7: CB Micah Robinson
Round 7: OL John Williams
Tied with the Bears with eight picks, Green Bay and Chicago had the most in the division. Their first-round pick was a little surprise, taking wide receiver Matthew Golden. Golden is a talented player and worth a first-round pick, but now they have an abundance of young receivers to give quarterback Jordan Love plenty of options to throw to. They didn’t stop there, either, as they got Savion Williams in the third round.
They got some help on the offensive line in Anthony Belton in the second round, so Love won’t just have new targets to throw to, but someone who could be blocking for him. The next four picks were focused on the defense getting some help at every level. They rounded up the draft with more help on the offensive line.
This class seems like an average class for Green Bay, as Golden will be the biggest star of the bunch, but he and Williams getting added to the team bring more questions than answers to the offense. It appears Green Bay wants to win games with their offense in 2025, and they are doing their best to improve it.
Chicago Bears
Picks:
Round 1: TE Colston Loveland
Round 2: WR Luther Burden III
Round 2: OL Ozzy Trapilo
Round 2: DL Shemar Turner
Round 4: LB Ruben Hyppolite II
Round 5: CB Zah Frazier
Round 5: OL Luke Newman
Round 7: RB Kyle Monangai
While the Bears also had eight picks, they had the best value compared to the other three teams, with four picks in the first two rounds. The Bears offense didn’t match the preseason hype they received last year, but with a new head coach in Ben Johnson, they appear intent on fixing it. Their first-round pick in tight end Colston Loveland was interesting, as the team has starting tight end Cole Kmet under contract for three more seasons. I’m guessing Johnson will be using a lot of two tight end sets moving forward.
The team needed some help at wide receiver as they lost Keenan Allen in free agency, and they got a first-round talent in Luther Burden III in the second round. The trenches got addressed as well with Ozzy Trapilo and Shemar Turner. They also got some more depth later on to give them options at linebacker and cornerback, as well as the offensive line and running back.
Overall, I think the Bears got the best draft class with the talent they picked. While Loveland wouldn’t be my first option for them in the first round, the more weapons for quarterback Caleb Williams, the better. The team addressed its offensive line in free agency, and they believe their defense didn’t need as much help until later on, and they got some helpful guys. The Bears will be better than last season, and their free agents, trades, and draft picks will be one of the biggest reasons why.
Poll
What NFC North team had the best draft in 2025?
51%
Detroit Lions
(332 votes)
1%
Minnesota Vikings
(9 votes)
3%
Green Bay Packers
(22 votes)
43%
Chicago Bears
(279 votes)
642 votes total