2010 NFL Draft: NFC North Team Grades
By Editorial Staff
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Grade: C+
Players: 3rd Major Wright- S- Florida, 4th Corey Wootton-DE- Northwestern, 5th Josh Moore-CB- Kansas State, 6th Dan LeFevour-QB- Central Mich., 7th J’Marcus Webb-OT- W Texas A&M
Thoughts: I think the Bears did the best they could with the limited draft picks. Major Wright is the cover safety they desperately need and could start from day 1. If Wootton could recover from injuries he could be a major part of the defensive line rotation. Josh Moore will be right in the mix at the corner position because he has better size than the other corners on the roster. He won’t overtake starters Tillman or Bowman but they are injury prone so Moore could see plenty of snaps. LeFevour is a nice project quarterback and has more talent than the other backups on the team. Webb is a really big and athletic tackle that with time could work his way on the field.
Green Bay Packers
Grade: C+
Players: 1st Bryan Bulaga-OT-Iowa, 2nd Michael Neal- DT- Purdue, 3rd Morgan Burnett- S- Georgia Tech, 5th Andrew Quarless- TE- Penn State, 5th Marshall Newhouse-G- TCU, 6th James Starks- RB- Buffalo, 7th CJ Wilson- DE- Eastern Carolina
Thoughts: The Packers have to be very happy that a talent like Bulaga fell to them in the first round. Bulaga fills a major position of need for the Packers and can step in right away. Morgan Burnett was project to go in the 2nd round so getting him in the 3rd is a positive. I also like the pick of James Starks who could compete for carries right away. I think the pick of Michael Neal in the 2nd round is a bit of a reach and Andrew Quarless’ character issues may keep him from making an impact. Overall the Packers might get 2 starters out of this group.
Detroit Lions
Grade: B
Players: 1st Ndamukong Suh- DT- Nebraska, 1st Jahvid Best- RB- California, 3rd Amari Spievey- CB- Iowa, 4th Jason Fox- OT- Miami, 7th Willie Young- DE- NC State, 7th Timothy Toone- WR- Weber St
Thoughts: The Lions first 3 picks will see significant playing time and are upgrades at their respective position. Suh has a chance to dominate and if Best could stay healthy he could be a major playmaker. Spievey will see playing time a one of the weaker positions on the Lions team. The rest of the picks are developmental and probably won’t have an immediate impact on the team.
Minnesota Vikings
Grade: C+
Players: 2nd Chris Cook- CB- Virginia, 2nd Toby Gerhart- RB- Stanford, 4th Everson Griffen- DE- USC, 5th Chris DeGeare- G- Wake Forest, 5th Nathan Triplett- ILB- Minnesota, 6th Joe Webb- WR- UAB, 7th Mickey Shuler- TE- Penn State
Thoughts: Chris Cook adds instant depth to a position that exposed during the playoffs. Cook has excellent speed and will able to lock down receivers. Toby Gerhart is a tough runner but doesn’t seem to fit what the Vikings needs. The Vikings need to replace Chester Taylor as the 3rd down back and Gerhart isn’t the game breaker to fill that role. Getting Griffen in the 4th is a good pick because if properly motivated he could potentially dominate. He provides some insurance for the likely departure of Ray Edwards, next season. DeGeare is a big physical guard who could maybe work his way into the starting lineup. Webb is a quarterback trying to convert to wide receiver and will take time to develop.