Full (7-Round) NFC North 2022 NFL Mock Draft

Written By Ethan Machado

Liberty Quarterback, Malik Willis - Image Via: https://bloggingdirty.com/2021/07/19/qb-reinvigorate-atlanta-falcons/

The NFC North has been owned by the Green Bay Packers for the last several seasons, winning it in eight times in the last eleven years. However, with speculation circulating around the status of star QB Aaron Rodgers, this division is open for the taking. This draft will be crucial for any team that looks to overtake the Packers who have held the crown of the division for three straight years.

Detroit Lions:

The Detroit Lions are a very interesting team, they have a fairly solid offensive unit, boasting a top ten offensive line and good young playmakers like T.J. Hockenson, D’Andre Swift, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Where they lacked the most was on the defense, with a fairly weak secondary and no standout players in the front seven. Also, while Jared Goff was fairly serviceable last season, he’s not the long term answer for the Lions, and they’ll likely move on from him sooner rather than later. In the first round I have the Lions taking the Michigan native, Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson is arguably the best player in the class and would provide a substantial boost to a defensive line which is lacking to say the least. Then with the last pick in the first round I have Detroit selecting the potential successor to Jared Goff, Malik Willis, quarterback from Liberty. While Willis is in no way prepared to be an NFL starter this upcoming season, he does have the most upside of any signal caller in this class, and if given the proper time to develop could be a top quarterback in this league. After this I have the Lions going exclusively on defense for the rest of the draft with the only exceptions being Ryan Van Denmark, tackle out of Connecticut for depth, and Calvin Austin III, receiver from Memphis. Austin III has insane burst and rare athleticism at the receiver position. I fully expect the Lions to sign another boundary receiver in free agency so Calvin Austin III would fit perfectly in the slot between St. Brown and their other wideout. Rebuilds are a long process and the Lions have a lot of holes, with the values of the picks in this draft, I opted to focus more on the front seven than the secondary since I believe they have a more talented secondary than front seven. For this reason I have the Lions taking Devonte Wyatt, defensive tackle from Georgia to help build the interior and add to a young defensive line. Lastly, another standout pick that I have for the Lions is linebacker Brian Asamoah, from Oklahoma. Asamoah has great speed and provides a lot of versatility as a guy who can cover tight ends very well and play up in the box. This would all help build on the Lions already young foundation and move forward in their rebuild.

Round 1:

Aidan Hutchinson (EDGE) ~ Michigan (2)

Malik Willis (QB) ~ Liberty (32)

Round 2:

Devonte Wyatt (DT) ~ Georgia (34)

Round 3:

Brian Asamoah (LB) ~ Oklahoma (66)

Kerby Joseph (S) ~ Illinois (101)

Round 4:

No Picks

Round 5:

Calvin Austin III (WR) ~ Memphis (175)

Round 6:

Noah Elliss (DT) ~ Idaho (180)

Ryan Van Demark (OT) ~ Connecticut (216)

Round 7:

Mike Rose (LB) ~ Iowa State (230)

Jordan Jackson (DT) ~ Air Force (238)

Minnesota Vikings:

The Minnesota Vikings are in a very weird place coming into the draft. There is no doubt that they have some of the best skill players in the league with Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen. However, the offensive line has been shaky and some question Kirk Cousins ability to lead the team. Personally, I don’t think Cousins is the problem but I do have the Vikings selecting Bailey Zappe in the fifth round as an insurance policy and to be a solid backup to Cousins. In the first round I have the Vikings selecting Tyler Linderbaum, who is undoubtedly the best center in the class and will be a day one starter on the Vikings. The Vikings have two very solid tackles in Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill, along with guard Ezra Cleveland, adding a talent like Linderbaum who could play center or guard depending on how much the Vikings trust Garret Bradberry who took a step back last season. In the second round I have the VIkings picking Jalen Pitre, corner out of Baylor to help bolster their weakest group on their roster. Pitre mainly played out of the slot and the box for Baylor and will add to a very young secondary that can grow together over the next couple of years. In the third round I have them selecting Boye Mafe, edge rusher from Minnesota who won’t have to move far and can add to a fantastic defensive unit, in need of some depth. Lastly, I have the Vikings selecting Jordan Stout, kicker from Penn State, because that position seems to be a forever rotating door for Minnesota.

Round 1:

Tyler Linderbaum (C) ~ Iowa (12)

Round 2:

Jalen Pitre (DB) ~ Baylor (44)

Round 3:

Boye Mafe (EDGE) ~ Minnesota (76)

Round 4:

No Picks

Round 5:

Bailey Zappe (QB) ~ Western Kentucky (155)

Round 6:

Justin Shaffer (OG) ~ Georgia (182)

Otito Ogbonnia (DT) ~ UCLA (190)

Round 7:

Jordan Stout (K) ~ Penn State (226)

Chicago Bears:

The Chicago Bears first priority this offseason should be to build around their young quarterback, Justin Fields. Outside of Darnell Mooney the Bears don’t have that many options for their young star this upcoming season. However, they can’t completely ignore the offensive line as it ranked as one of the worst units in the league last year. This will be no easy feat however, due to the fact that they don’t own their first round pick, which was traded last year to get Fields. With their first pick I have the Bears selecting Skyy Moore, from Western Michigan. The young receiver has incredible route running ability and has great burst. Moore gets off the line quickly and can go from 0 to 100 very quickly. While he’s not the fastest or best athlete, he has every tool to be a star receiver in this league and will be a great complement to Darnell Mooney. In the later rounds I have the Bears selecting Dylan Parham and Alec Linstrom to help sure up the offensive line and provide some depth. While I’d prefer for them to take a tackle, I don’t think any of the prospects available at this point would be worth it. Lastly, I have the Bears taking cornerback Cordale Flott from LSU and Kyle Phillips, a receiver from UCLA who at his peak could produce like Hunter Renfrow in the NFL and provide a great slot option for Justin Fields.

Round 1:

No Pick

Round 2:

Skyy Moore (WR) ~ Western Michigan (39)

Round 3:

Dylan Parham (OG) ~ Memphis (71)

Round 4:

No Picks

Round 5:

Cordale Flott (DB) ~ LSU (144)

Alec Linstrom (C) ~ Boston College (148)

Round 6:

Kyle Phillips (WR) ~ UCLA (185)

Round 7:

No Picks

Green Bay Packers:

The Green Bay Packers have tons of questions with their roster, however, the largest is their quarterback Aaron Rodgers. If the Packers want any shot at winning they’re gonna do everything in their power to keep him on the team. However, even if they lose him to either retirement or another team, they’ll be left with Jordan Love and a depleted receiving core with Davante Adams likely to leave if Rodgers does. That’s why I have the Packers doing something unspeakable, selecting a wide receiver in the first round! But what would be even crazier than that? You guessed it, selecting a wideout in the first and second round, which is just what I have them doing. I have them taking Jahan Dotson in the first round out of Penn State and Jalen Tolbert from South Alabama in the second. Dotson is a big play threat who has all the tools to be a consistent number one option, with great speed and well rounded when it comes to getting separation and beating his competition off the line. Tolbert is more of a project but comes with great upside, he has a good frame for an outside receiver standing at six foot one inch. Tolbert has shown flashes of elite body control when high pointing the ball and making over the shoulder catches. The South Alabama product will have to polish his route running to become a premier threat in the NFL though. After this I have the Packers targeting their offensive line with their next three picks to help add some depth in a unit that was often injured last season and took a step back from where they previously were. Lastly, I have the Packers selecting a wide spread of players and positions late in the draft mainly targeting high upside talent. One of my favorite picks from that bunch is Tariq Woolen, corner from UTSA. The former receiver stands at six foot four inches and has vastly improved in just two years playing corner. Woolen has the ability to be a great starting corner on any team that puts in the time to develop him properly.

Round 1:

Jahan Dotson (WR) ~ Penn State (28)

Round 2:

Jalen Tolbert (WR) ~ South Alabama (60)

Round 3:

Kellen Diesch (OT) ~ Arizona State (92)

Round 4:

Marquis Hayes (OG) ~ Oklahoma (130)

Luke Fortner (C) ~ Kentucky (136)

Round 5:

Tariq Woolen (DB) ~ UTSA (169)

Round 6:

No Picks

Round 7:

Velus Jones Jr. (WR) ~ Tennessee (224)

McKinley Williams (LB) ~ Arkansas (245)

Austin Stogner (TE) ~ Oklahoma (255)

Ethan Machado
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