Pride of Detroit
The 2025 NFL Draft is officially over. How did each team in the NFC North do to try to win the division?
Another year, another NFL Draft has come and gone. While the atmosphere wasn’t as electric and energetic as last year in Detroit, Green Bay did an alright job hosting the draft in 2025.
The Detroit Lions won the NFC North divisional title in back-to-back years for the first time, and the other teams in the NFC North will try their best to stop the Lions from completing a three-peat. The Minnesota Vikings were just one game away from the divisional crown last year. The Green Bay Packers were competitive and made the playoffs, but couldn’t finish strong. Finally, there were the Chicago Bears, who couldn’t match the hype they had and ended the year in last place.
Let’s go through each NFC North team’s draft, who they picked, and how they improved to become a divisional threat in 2025.
Picks:
Round 1: DT Tyleik Williams
Round 2: OG Tate Ratledge
Round 3: WR Isaac TeSlaa
Round 5: G Miles Frazier
Round 6: DE Ahmed Hassanein
Round 7: S Dan Jackson
Round 7: WR Dominic Lovett
The Lions were quiet in free agency back in March, focusing more on keeping their players, signing a few outside free agents. One position group that needed some help was on the defensive line, and the Lions addressed that group by taking defensive tackle Tyleik Williams in the first round. While it wasn’t at the defensive end position that a majority thought the team needed, it was still a helpful pick that can instantly impact the defensive line for Detroit.
The trenches continued to get help, but this time on the offensive side as the Lions took guard Tate Ratledge in the second round after trading up. Ratledge will come in and compete for a starting guard job, and he will bring his toughness to the team.
Brad wasn’t done trading up as he got Isaac TeSlaa in the third to be a future starting X wide receiver. That pick was for the future, and so was the final trade in the fifth round to get guard Miles Frazier. Frazier was a steal for the team, and he could compete to start in 2025, but I see him more as a 2026/2027 possible contender to start.
To round out the rest of the draft, Holmes went with a defensive end, finally, in Ahmed Hassanein in the sixth round. H is a project they can work on as a potential starter down the line. Safety Dan Jackson and wide receiver Dominic Lovett are looking to be special team contributors and depth pieces for the future.
Overall, Detroit improved its defensive and offensive line depth, and thought about the future in the secondary and at wide receiver. The class wasn’t an explosive set of additions, but a thoughtful plan for the future.
Picks:
Round 1: OG Donovan Jackson
**Round...
