2023 NFL Draft: Here’s who the NFC North teams land in a 2-round mock draft

The landscape of the NFC North is changing. The Detroit Lions are rapidly ascending, and the Chicago Bears appear set to take a similar leap thanks to quarterback Justin Fields and a bounty of offseason resources.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers both appear to be stuck in neutral, teetering on the edge between resurgence and rebuild.

This offseason could be pivotal for the NFC North, especially in the 2023 NFL draft. The Lions have set themselves up with multiple Top-75 picks, and the Bears have the first overall selection. But the Vikings have just one pick in the first two rounds, and the Packers are stuck with draft picks in the middle portion of each round.

Let’s look at how the 2023 NFL draft could shake out in the first two rounds for each NFC North team.

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Minnesota Vikings: Nolan Smith (OLB, Georgia)

With just one selection in the first two rounds, the Vikings need to get a sure thing, and at 23rd overall, that appears to be Nolan Smith. Smith is a tremendous athlete and would be a perfect fit in Minnesota’s 3-4 defensive scheme. He’s a bit undersized but extremely physical and good against the run and the pass. He’s still a bit raw, and he suffered a season-ending injury in November, so that’s something to note.

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Green Bay Packers: Michael Mayer (TE, Notre Dame), John Michael Schmitz (C, Minnesota)

The Packers ended the season with a wide receiver room that should be okay going into 2023, but they don’t have a starting tight end who can contribute on offense. Mayer is the consensus top tight end in the 2023 draft, so this pick at 15th overall looks like a match made in football heaven.

Their offensive line still needs work, so I have the Packers once again securing the top prospect at his position in the second round. Schmitz is a powerful, polished, and smart center, arguably the best lineman on one of college football’s best offensive lines.

Second-year pro Josh Myers regressed from his rookie year with the Packers, and while it may be too early to write the book on his career, landing such a promising center and immediate upgrade would be difficult to pass up.

Detroit Lions: Bryan Bresee (DT, Clemson), Cam Smith (CB, South Carolina), Drew Sanders (LB/EDGE, Arkansas), JL Skinner (S, Boise State)

The Lions’ offense is trending in the right direction. Their defense, however, is abysmal. I have them loading up on four of the best defensive prospects here, giving them a fearsome front.

Bresee is the mauler on the interior line that could make the star pass rusher Aiden Hutchinson even better. Cam Smith would be a clear upgrade from Jeff Okudah and a solid first step in shoring up the Lions’ secondary.

Drew Sanders is a high-risk, high-reward prospect, but that sounds like exactly what head coach Dan Campbell wants. And speaking of freak athletes with a high ceiling, check out JL Skinner. A 6’4” safety weighing 220 lbs, he has an explosive burst and a knack for stopping the run. He could be a bit bigger, and his coverage abilities will need to be coached up, but after seeing what rookie defensive back Tariq Woolen is doing in Seattle, it’s hard to pass on such a rare blend of size, speed, and strength.

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Chicago Bears: Will Anderson Jr. (EDGE, Alabama), Jahmyr Gibbs (RB, Alabama)

Unless the Bears trade back, the betting favorite to be the first overall draft selection is the back-to-back Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, Will Anderson. Potentially a generational pass rusher, Anderson would transform one of the weakest defensive lines in the league and get the Bears back to being Monsters of the Midway as soon as his feet touch the grass on Soldier Field.

This second-round pick is the controversial one. While the Bears desperately need offensive line help, they also need playmakers. Gibbs is a bona fide weapon that just happens to play running back, but boy, is he good at it. He’s also a terrific pass catcher, averaging 35 receptions per season in college for almost 12 yards per catch. He’s a big-play threat every time he touches the ball, capable of turning a stuff at the line of scrimmage into a house call.

Justin Fields needs a “security blanket” type of weapon on offense, and Gibbs could be that. Needless to say, a backfield containing Justin Fields, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Khalil Herbert would give defensive coordinators absolute fits.

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