Packers Earn NFC North’s Top Draft Grade During Memorable Night

The Green Bay Packers won the first night of the 2025 NFL Draft over their division rivals. By selecting speedster Matthew Golden from Texas with the 23^rd pick, the Packers served notice on the division-leading Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings that they don’t have to take a back seat at the WR position.

Team president Mark Murphy made the announcement in front of about 150,000 Packers fans outside of Lambeau Field, and that selection was greeted by roars of approval in the not-so-frozen tundra.

Quarterback Jordan Love of the Packers needed a speed receiver quite badly and Golden is the fastest receiver in this year’s draft. He excelled for two years with the Houston Cougars before transferring to the Longhorns, and he is clearly a difference maker.

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Golden had 58 receptions for 987 yards and 9 touchdowns last season and he averaged an impressive 17 yards per catch. More than those production numbers, Golden has been timed at 4.29 in the 40.

Golden and Jayden Reed become the 1-2 punch at wide receiver for the Packers. They are now competitive with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison of the Vikings as well as Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams of the Lions.

The Packers get a clear “A” for their selection, something no other NFC North team can say.

The Vikings selected for need and picked Ohio State offensive guard Donovan Jackson. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah addressed the team’s needs on the interior offensive line during free agency when he brought in center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries from the Indianapolis Colts.

The Vikings could have gone in another direction in the draft, but they brought in Jackson. The 6-4, 319-pound blocker was at his best during the Buckeyes’ four-game postseason run to the national championship. Jackson should slide in at the right guard spot for the Vikings, and the talent level on the offensive line is now elite.

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However, Kelly, Fries and Jackson will have to mesh with tackles Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill. If that happens quickly, the Vikings will be formidable. If it takes a half-season or longer, Minnesota may have to scramble to make the playoffs. Give the Vikings a B-plus for filling out their offensive line with a potential star.

The Lions have a clear needs at edge rusher. Despite their brilliant regular season, none of the Lions pass rushers had more than 5.0 sacks last season. They will be better in that area as long as Aidan Hutchinson can stay healthy this season – something that did not happen last year.

The Lions needed to draft an edge rusher, but they went instead with defensive tackle Tyleik Williams of Ohio State.

Williams is a bull of a man who checks in at 6-3 and 328 pounds. He can play nose tackle like few others and he will be a major asset against the run. However, the Lions did not get Hutchinson a pass rush partner in the first round. This is a move they may end up regretting, but head coach Dan Campbell knows the Lions will be very solid against the run. They get a B-minus.

The Chicago Bears have a much greater distance to travel than their other three NFC North rivals, but they have been going at full speed throughout the offseason. The biggest move was hiring Ben Johnson as their head coach and bringing in a pair of notable guards in Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney.

The Bears decided to upgrade at the tight end position and went with Michigan’s Colston Loveland over Penn State’s Tyler Warren. While Loveland gets the superior receiving grade, Warren is a much better blocker and may be the better all-around tight end.

The Bears already had Cole Kmet at tight end, and he is coming off a season in which he caught 47-474-4. There’s nothing wrong with bringing in another tight end but using a high first-round choice is a questionable decision. That earns the Bears a grade of C-plus.