After a flurry of activity on the draft’s first day, things slowed down in the second and third rounds for the NFC North. Across the division there were only four picks, and teams looked to address their biggest needs.
2013 NFL Draft grades: Slow day in the NFC North with 4 picks
Teams didn’t have much ammunition on Friday, but they addressed some of their biggest needs.
Butch Dill
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The Green Bay Packers have lacked a running back for a long time, and landing (arguably) the best in the draft was a coup with the 61st pick. Eddie Lacy was regarded as an early second-round pick at worst, and now an already potent offense has another weapon for Aaron Rodgers.
Dan Kadar re-graded each team's draft class, while Pete Prisco elected to give a breakdown of each pick as it happened on Friday.
No. 50 Jon Bostic
The Bears' linebacker group is in flux after parting ways with Brian Urlacher, and Lance Briggs isn't getting any younger. The expected pick here was Arthur Brown, but instead Chicago elect to take an outside linebacker who can be a bigger factor rushing the passer.
Kadar: B-
Prisco: C
No. 36 Darius Slay
No. 65 Larry Warford
Darius Slay was one of the draft’s top-rated cornerbacks, and it’s a position of dire need for the Lions. After selecting Ziggy Ansah in the first round, Slay will give them a solid corner on the outside who could develop into a lockdown defender.
Matthew Stafford will be happy to get some help on the offensive line, and Warford is a perfect match at right guard. He shows a great mix and speed and power, but it remains to be seen whether he can block in space for a speedy running back like Reggie Bush.
Kadar: B+
Prisco: B-/ B
Green Bay Packers
No. 61 Eddie Lacy
This was probably the best pick of the NFC North teams on Friday. Lacy could open up the play-action passing game even more, which is a scary prospect on the Packers offense. He’ll run between the tackles well and gain the short yards they’ve been lacking in recent years.
Kadar: B+
Prisco: C
No second day selections
The Vikings did more than enough on day 1 and still boast one of the league’s best drafts.
Kadar: A-
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