Best, worst draft picks in the NFC North

Now that the NFL Draft is completed, it's time for us to weigh in on bests and worsts. (By the way, the 2024 draft is April 25–27 in Detroit.)

BEST | Lions, Brian Branch, S (second round): Yes, the Lions signed cornerbacks Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley plus safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to solidify their secondary. However, all three are just one-year deals. With 2022 third-round pick Kerby Joseph entrenched at one safety position and Gardner-Johnson at the other, Branch has the luxury of not being thrust into a starting role right away.

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If Detroit can get another Pro Bowl-caliber season from Gardner-Johnson in 2023, it can transition to the younger, cheaper Branch in 2024 and pair him with Joseph in the defensive backfield for the next decade.

WORST | Packers, Lukas Van Ness, DE (first round):  In perhaps the most on-brand move of the 2023 draft, the Packers kicked off the Jordan Love era by drafting a defensive end with their first-round pick, proving once again why Aaron Rodgers wanted out. 

While Green Bay did take two tight ends and a receiver with its next three picks, it passed up dynamic receivers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison and Quentin Johnston along with true No. 1 tight ends like Dalton Kincaid and Michael Mayer to add Van Ness. It could be argued Green Bay would have been better served going WR in Round 1 and taking edge rusher Keion White in Round 2.

BEST | Vikings, Jordan Addison, WR (first round):  With Adam Thielen now in Carolina, the Vikings needed a complementary No. 2 wideout to help take some of the pressure off Justin Jefferson. Addison is a savvy route runner and good at creating separation and plays after the catch.

With K.J. Osborn, Jalen Reagor and Jalen Nailor the only real depth behind Jefferson, Addison gives Kirk Cousins another explosive, sure-handed receiving target who can present matchup problems out of the slot.

WORST | Lions, Jahmyr Gibbs, RB (first round):  While the Lions celebrated landing Gibbs 12th overall, the rest of the NFL world was left scratching its head. The Lions signed David Montgomery to a three-year deal to pair with D’Andre Swift (who’s now in Philadelphia) in the backfield, so why waste a premium pick on another running back — one who likely could have been had in the second round at that?

Detroit passed on plenty of impact players who would have improved its defensive front, like defensive tackles Calijah Kancey and Bryan Bresee or edge rushers Nolan Smith and Will McDonald to bolster a position of strength. Let’s hope for Dan Campbell’s sake Gibbs was worth the enormous gamble.

BEST | Bears, Roschon Johnson, RB (fourth round): Overshadowed by No. 8 overall pick Bijan Robinson at Texas, Johnson had a respectable career in a reserve role, totaling 2,190 yards rushing with 23 touchdowns and 420 yards receiving with another three scores over four seasons. In fact, he probably could have started at any other school in the country except Texas.

There’s room for Johnson to make an impact as a rookie. D’Onta Foreman signed a one-year deal, Travis Homer is more of a depth piece and Khalil Herbert has injury concerns. Johnson brings versatility the others don’t, both as a blocker and pass catcher, and he can do a bit of everything for the Bears. It wouldn’t be surprising if he’s Chicago’s featured back by the end of the season.

WORST | Packers, Sean Clifford, QB (fifth round): With Danny Etling the only other quarterback under contract in 2023, it’s understandable why the Packers would want to draft someone to compete to back up Love, but with Jaren Hall, Tanner McKee and Max Duggan all still on the board, I’d love to hear how Green Bay landed on Clifford.

He barely averaged 220 yards passing per game in college, and his completion percentage barely hovered around 60 during his first three years at Penn State. Clifford had one season with more than 3,000 yards passing, and he never threw more than 24 touchdowns in a season. While I get he’s not being groomed to be a starter, Hall, McKee and Duggan all had better bodies of work at lesser college programs.