2023 NFL Draft Grades: NFC North
The NFC North feels as wide open as it ever has. Aaron Rodgers is gone and the Vikings had the flukiest 13 win season of all time. How did the 2023 NFL Draft shake out? We might get a little too spicy with the grades on this post. Here are your 2023 NFL Draft Grades for the NFC North!
Chicago Bears: F
Round 1: No. 10 overall (from Eagles via Saints) — Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
Round 2: No. 53 (from Ravens) — Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida
Round 2: No. 56 (from Jaguars) — Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami
Round 3: No. 64 — Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina
Round 4: No. 115 (from Saints) — Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas
Round 4: No. 133 (from Eagles) — Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati
Round 5: No. 148 (from Patriots through Ravens) — Noah Sewell, ILB, Oregon
Round 5: No. 165 (from Eagles through Saints) — Terell Smith, CB, Minnesota
Round 7: No. 218 — Travis Bell, DL, Kennesaw State
Round 7: No. 258 — Kendall Williamson, S, Stanford
Every day that Ryan Poles remains in charge the more damage he creates within the organization. We have to keep in mind that the Bears started this draft with the number one overall pick. For a team that controlled the entire draft, this will go down as a disastrous day for the Bears.
The trade-down with Carolina continues to look worse by the second. I don’t even know where to start because this entire draft is pathetic. How do you trade down, have Jalen Carter fall to you at nine, pass on it for an extra 4th round pick in 2024, and then take Darnell Wright? It’s so brain dead that you can’t make it up. I had Wright ranked as my 6th rated tackle and feels like a massive risk. He’s probably a right tackle only that had one good year and feels like the Mekhi Becton of the class. Bad gas tank at the Senior Bowl and might be too heavy. For that to be your outcome after holding the first pick is tragic.
Let’s also think about this. The Bears essentially traded Joey Porter Jr. for Chase Claypool. That’s an automatic L.
The Bears also traded Roquan Smith for Gervon Dexter. I like Dexter as a project but not as a Roquan Smith trade piece. He’s slow off the ball and could easily turn into nothing. Also, another L.
Poles also made a grave error in the trade with Carolina not getting their second round pick. Instead they got San Francisco’s pick and had to move up for Tyrique Stevenson. I think Stevenson is okay but he wasn’t good enough to play at Georgia and didn’t have a great combine either. Wouldn’t have hated the Stevenson selection but to move up and give away that future capital you worked hard to collect? Another brain dead moment by a hack GM.
Of course, this is an F Draft. There is no other way to slice it. I did like the Zacch Pickens and Noah Sewell selections. However, Pickens is undersized and probably has a limited role at the next level. This Sewell sure as hell isn’t as good as brother Penei. It’s not enough to save a failed class.
The fact that Chicago picked Roschon Johnson who sucks was a cherry on top. A failed QB prospect turned back up running back. It’s classic Bears! Maybe Tyler Scott will return a punt for a touchdown!
This is a joke and that blind bat Virginia just sat there and watched it happen. Don’t say I didn’t warn you when things go south. Just remember I own your franchise. I’ll be right again here too.
Detroit Lions: F
Round 1: No. 12 (from Cardinals via Texans) — Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
Round 1: No. 18 — Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
Round 2: No. 34 (from Cardinals) — Sam Laporta, TE, Iowa
Round 2: No. 45 (from Packers) — Brian Branch, S, Alabama
Round 3: No. 68 — Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
Round 3: No. 96 (from Cardinals) — Brodric Martin, DT, Western Kentucky
Round 5: No. 152 — Colby Sorsdal, OT, William and Mary
Round 7: No. 219 (from Eagles) — Antoine Green, WR, North Carolina
This draft was absolutely embarrassing. Out of all the F’s I gave out this draft season, this one is dead last. Picking Jahmyr Gibbs at 12 is unfathomable.
I like Gibbs as a player but he would have went in the 4th round if the transfer portal didn’t exist. That’s just the truth. I also had Jack Campbell as my 7th rated linebacker in the draft. I don’t think he has great play speed and when you consider the fact that the second linebacker didn’t come off the board until the third round, this draft by Detroit starts to become embarrassing.
They reached for Sam LaPorta. Maybe they won’t dump this Iowa tight end for a fraction of the draft cost like the last one they drafted?
Broderic Martin is a nobody. Literally never heard of that guy. Detroit picked a guy in the third round who had zero production and wasn’t even invited to the combine.
Are you starting to see how terrible this draft was? Do we even need to talk about how terrible the D’Andre Swift trade was? Do they actually think Gibbs is the better player?
Brian Branch was the only good pick here. He was my number one safety and should be a plug and play starter for them. Everything else was trash.
The Lions even ate the Josh Heupal cheese with Hendon Hooker. Do they know he’s 25? The guy has to play. What does this mean for Goof? If I were a Lions fan I would be pissed and would be holding riots outside the stadium. Just as things started to turn around, everything turns to poo. Just bad.
Green Bay Packers: F
Round 1: No. 13 (from Jets): Lukas Van Ness, DE, Iowa
Round 2: No. 42 (from Browns through Jets): Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
Round 2: No. 50 (from Buccaneers): Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State
Round 3: No. 78 — Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
Round 4: No. 116 — Colby Wooden, DT, Auburn
Round 5: No. 149 — Sean Clifford, QB, Penn State
Round 5: No. 159 (from Jaguars through Falcons, Lions) — Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Virginia
Round 6: No. 179 (from Texans through Buccaneers) — Karl Brooks, DE, Bowling Green
Round 6: No. 207 (from 49ers through Texans, Jets) — Anders Carlson, PK, Auburn
Round 7: No. 232 — Carrington Valentine, CB, Kentucky
Round 7: No. 235 (from Lions through Rams) — Lew Nichols III, RB, Central Michigan
Round 7: No. 242 (from Jaguars) — Anthony Johnson Jr., DB, Iowa State
Round 7: No. 256 — Grant DuBose, WR, Charlotte
I really wanted to like the Packers draft. I even understood the Lukas Van Ness pick even though it feels very much like a gamble. However, I just don’t think any other grade is warranted here other than an F. The Packers had a real opportunity to rebuild this puppy after the Aaron Rodgers trade and they blew it.
If anything this feels like a Rick Spielman special. Lots of picks. Lots of average players that won’t move the needle. Did Green Bay hire Spielman? Did I miss that?
Luke Musgrave might turn into a really good tight end. He’s also a massive injury risk. What made less sense is the fact that they doubled down on the position and then picked Tucker Kraft who stinks. Kraft was unwatchable at the Combine.
Jayden Reed is fine, I guess. I think he might be able to function as a deep threat and special teams guy for them. If Green Bay thinks this is the next second round special where they found Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings, and Christian Watson – that would be really foolish. He’s also on the older side and doesn’t really bring much to the table other than his pure speed.
Six of the picks fall in either the 6th or 7th rounds so the haul is a bit deceiving. Odds are they’re lucky if they get one or two players out of that group. The most laughable selection was Sean Clifford in round 5. Do they think he’s good enough to be an NFL backup? I can’t believe he even got picked!
Minnesota Vikings: F
Round 1: No. 23: Jordan Addison, WR, USC
Round 3: No. 102 — Mekhi Blackmon, CB, USC
Round 4: No. 134 (from Lions) — Jay Ward, S, LSU
Round 5: No. 141 (from Raiders through Vikings) — Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU
Round 5: No. 164 — Jaren Hall, QB, BYU
Round 6: No. 211 — DeWayne McBride, RB, UAB
The Vikings had a great day one and decided to flush the rest of the draft down the toilet. I really like Jordan Addison. I feel that he will be the Calvin Ridley for this offense. Guy gets open and puts up numbers. That’s what I know.
The problem is when you leave the draft with one guy that can play, it’s an F draft. This Kwesi guy is a dope and he’s going to burn this team to the ground. Mekhi Blackmon stinks. Too skinny and can’t tackle. Also really grabby in coverage too. Jaren Hall blows. Don’t need to add anything there. DeWayne McBride is a fumbling machine that will probably get cut. The LSU guys are lower end guys. Just a bad draft anyway you slice it.
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