1. Green Bay Packers

The Packers had this spot locked up even if either of the three teams behind them had A+ drafts, which they did not. With Aaron Rodgers in the fold, the Packers will be at the top of this list for some time.

Having said that, the Packers draft was one of the strongest of the teams in the division. It filled vital needs. The first round choice of Ha Ha Clinton-Dix made the safety hole seem a lot less deep. Dix could easily start on Week 1 and succeed.

With the loss of James Jones, the wide receiving corps needed more depth, and the Packers went out and gave Rodgers and his offense just that. Led by second round-pick Davante Adams, the Packers drafted three receivers to help Rodgers next season. Did this draft make the Packers better? Certainly. Watch out, NFC North.

2. Detroit Lions

I think the Lions may have had the best draft in this division, drafting two first-round talents with their first two picks. The first pick, tight end Eric Ebron, gives quarterback Matthew Stafford another reliable receiver not named Calvin Johnson. With Johnson, newly-signed Golden Tate and Ebron, the Lions offense could rival anyone in the league, much less the division.

Another strong pick was Kyle Van Noy in the second round. Van Noy slid all the way to pick No. 40 to the Lions. This pick was a steal, since Van Noy was graded by many as a first-round talent. He’ll help the Lions’ pass rush immediately. The Lion were able to separate themselves from the Chicago Bears.

3. Chicago Bears

The Bears knew they needed to draft defensively, and four of their first five picks went on that side of the ball. The first round choice of Kyle Fuller was a great pick, as Fuller could become a lockdown corner in the NFL. Fuller was there at pick No. 14 and the Bears did not waste time improving the position.

However, the Bears weren’t done trying to remake a defense that used to be one of the premier ones in the league. The next two picks went to Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton, both defensive tackles. The defensive line needed help, and the Bears addressed the need as quickly as the Packers did theirs. Another pick to watch out for come Week 1 is Brock Vereen a fourth-round selection that could find his way into the starting lineup at some point.

4. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings needed a quarterback, as Christian Ponder just was not the quarterback they hoped they drafted. That was need No. 1 going into the draft. Although Head Coach Mike Zimmer seemed to like Johnny Manziel, the Vikings traded back in the first round a grabbed Teddy Bridgewater at the end of the first round. This pick was smart, as the Vikings could not win the sweepstakes for Manziel. However, the rest of the draft was relatively average. Picking running back Jerick McKinnon in the third round made no sense, as there were more pressing needs at that point.

However, the Vikings did pick up outside linebacker Anthony Barr in an attempt to replace Jared Allen, who left for the Bears. Still, the Vikings can’t move up in the division until they have a proven quarterback. Can Bridgewater compete with Rodgers, Stafford and Jay Cutler? That remains to be seen.