2015 NFL Draft: Bold Predictions For The NFC North
By Erik Lambert
Sep 21, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) talks with Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) following the game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Mock drafts are one thing, but it’s also always fun to make some bold predictions about what the favorite teams will do when they go on the clock. Here are some to ponder for the NFC North division as the 2015 NFL draft approaches.
Green Bay Packers
Ted Thompson moves up for defensive help
Generally teams like climb up the draft board are either desperate for a difference-maker to turn things around or are a contending team that could be one piece away from completing the championship puzzle.
That is definitely what faces the Green Bay Packers and GM Ted Thompson. Their painful loss in the NFC championship proved they aren’t quite there, but they’re close. So the normally passive front office guru may see the 2015 draft as the proper time to get more aggressive. This class is loaded at nose tackle and boasts some promising inside linebackers as well, both big needs for the Pack. If one of the top names like a Malcom Brown or a Stephone Anthony is within reach, expect Thompson to go after them.
Detroit Lions
They will pick two defensive tackles in the first four rounds
Martin Mayhew has made it clear over the years that his defenses thrives on having a loaded front. The losses of Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley were a couple of cruel blows. While the trade for Haloti Ngata was a savvy maneuver, the line is still in need of help.
Mayhew has no qualms about attacking the same area over and over and he could do it in this draft, grabbing not one but two defensive tackles within the top four rounds. It’s an excellent class to do so, filled with several big bodies who boast interior pass rush capability.
Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson gets traded during the draft
First he’s staying, then he’s not. The back and forth regarding the Adrian Peterson situation with the Minnesota Vikings is as confusing as it is tiring. One thing that has become clear is they won’t cut him and he doesn’t seem interested in playing for them. That means he either sits out another season or the Vikings trade him.
Thus far the market has remained quiet. However, expect that to change when the clock starts April 30th. Minnesota has a history of wheeling and dealing during draft time and GM Rick Spielman is the kind of guy that will use Peterson as a chip to his advantage in moving up and down the boards.
Chicago Bears
Ryan Pace trades back and still lands Danny Shelton
The only thing Chicago Bears fans can say for sure about new GM Ryan Pace is that he doesn’t operate with a sense of urgency. He’s very methodical and seems to refuse overpaying for players in free agency. Everything has indicated the young executive is intent on acquiring younger, cheaper talent.
This is why belief is growing he may try to move down when the Bears are on the clock at #7. Currently they only have six picks, so it would make sense considering they were 5-11 last season and need to reload.
Pace not only will accomplish this feat in some fashion, but he will also fulfill another prediction by making Washington nose tackle Danny Shelton his first ever pick, something mock drafts have been saying for months.