With the bulk of free agency over and the 2023 NFL Draft just five weeks away, it's time to fire up the PFF mock draft simulator to fill the remaining needs for all 32 NFL teams.
Today, we'll focus on the NFC North to see how the first three rounds could shake out. Want to see how you'd do as the general manager of your favorite team? Try PFF's mock draft simulator for free — you can trade players and picks and mock all seven rounds. Click here to start drafting!
Note: Each team's mock draft was run independently, so some players may appear twice, as these picks are simply what I would do in the given situation.
Chicago Bears
Round 1: WR Quentin Johnston, TCU
Round 2: EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu, USC; CB Julius Brents, Kansas State
Round 3: CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU
Offensive line is the trendy pick for the Bears at No. 9 overall, but I believe that to find out exactly what they have in quarterback Justin Fields, they need to surround him with as much talent as possible.
Adding Johnston to a group that already contains D.J. Moore, Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney would do just that. The TCU receiver forced 19 missed tackles on 60 receptions in 2022, and he graded above 70.0 in every year of his three-year college career.
Their three picks across Rounds 2 and 3 allow them to add more talent on defense, including Brents, who tested as an explosive athlete at the NFL combine in Indianapolis and allowed just 24 receptions on 449 coverage snaps this past season.
Detroit Lions
Round 1: DI Jalen Carter, Georgia; CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
Round 2: EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah; CB Tyrique Stevenson, Miami (FL)
Round 3: WR Michael Wilson, Stanford
The dream scenario for the Detroit Lions at No. 6 overall is that the four top quarterbacks all are selected within the first five selections, guaranteeing them a shot at either Carter or Alabama edge defender Will Anderson Jr. Carter’s 92.3 PFF grade was the best among draft-eligible interior defenders in 2022.
The Lions have already added to their defensive backfield this offseason, but the temptation to add someone like Porter was too great here. Posting a career-high 77.4 PFF coverage grade, the Penn State corner allowed just 15 receptions across 275 coverage snaps in 2022.
Green Bay Packers
Round 1: TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah
Round 2: EDGE Will McDonald IV, Iowa State; DI Mazi Smith, Michigan; WR Nathaniel Dell, Houston
Round 3: QB Tanner McKee, Stanford
Maybe the New York Jets do send a first-round pick to Green Bay in exchange for quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but the fact that New York recently traded WR Elijah Moore for a second-round pick had me pondering whether those two seconds — perhaps with some additional conditional picks — could be what gets the deal done, allowing the Packers to add some more talent in the front seven in McDonald and Smith.
Drafting Kincaid in Round 1 would give new starting quarterback Jordan Love the top pass-catching tight end in this draft class, with the Utah standout leading all at the position with a 91.8 receiving grade last season.
Minnesota Vikings
Round 1: WR Jordan Addison, USC
Round 2: CB Garrett Williams, Syracuse
Addison didn’t blow anyone away with his athletic testing this spring, but he didn’t disappoint either. In each of the past two seasons, he has produced receiving grades of 82.0 or better and dropped just two of the 61 catchable passes thrown his way this past season.
The Vikings have added at cornerback this offseason, but Williams felt like good value here in the second round after a season where he allowed just 14 receptions from 170 snaps in coverage before suffering a season-ending injury.
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