The 2024 NFL draft has concluded and many teams used the opportunity to fill in the gaps in their rosters or recruit young talent that could better their team’s future. Out of the 257 picks in this year’s draft, the Detroit Lions had six of them and were able to make some solid choices that make next year’s season look just as promising as this year’s. Besides the Lions, many other teams made smart picks and trades to balance their rosters as much as possible, but some other general managers and head coaches confused their fanbase with their selections.
With their first pick in the draft, the Lions traded up for the Cowboys’ 24th spot, placing them one ahead of the Green Bay Packers. They used this position to draft Terrion Arnold, a cornerback from Alabama. This choice will help their defense next year and give them a replacement for Cam Sutton, who was recently released. The Lions’ picks this year covered several positions, with three each on offense and defense.
Many fans of the University of Michigan were excited to see where some of their star players who declared for the draft would end up. Coming off a national championship victory, J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum were both strong choices for any team. However, since more teams needed a quarterback than a running back, it was clear that McCarthy would be picked first. With the 10th overall pick in the draft, the Vikings took McCarthy so he could develop behind their current QB Sam Darnold and give Justin Jefferson some hope for the team’s future. Meanwhile, Corum went to the Rams in the third round as the 83rd overall pick and will likely develop behind Kyren Williams before getting his shot.
Last year, the NFC North was dominated by the Lions and the Packers while the Bears and Vikings weren’t even in the playoff conversation. However, with the Bears using the first and ninth overall picks to draft quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze, they have quickly become legitimate competitors in the division. While the Packers made some decent but not incredible picks during the draft, they had the youngest team to ever make the playoffs since the invention of the 16 game schedule in 1978 and have likely developed during the offseason. With all these improvements, all the teams in the NFC North could be playoff contenders and the division will likely be the most competitive in the league.
