2012 NFL Draft: Predicting How Each NFC North Team Will Improve

The NFC North is fast becoming one of the top divisions in the NFL. The Green Bay Packers are now a perennial power, and the Detroit Lions are on the rise.

Chicago has made some solid moves in the offseason to get back to the top, and the Vikings are still a talented group with a superstar running back. 

One thing the top two teams in the division have done well is build their teams through the draft. If the Bears and Vikings want to catch up they are going to have to do the same.

Don't expect the Packers and Lions to sit idly by though. 

Here are some of the ways each team could improve by using the draft this year. 

Green Bay Packers in the First Round

The Packers were exposed last season in their secondary. If the team was not getting turnovers then they were an average defense. A lot also had to do with the lack of a pass-rush, but the team needs to address the cornerback position right away. 

Charles Woodson will be 36 years old during the 2012 season. He is still a quality player, but he is on the back end of his career. Hakeem Nicks also exposed the secondary in the playoffs and helped cause what has been a long offseason in Green Bay. 

The Packers pick 28th in the first round, and a player like Stephon Gilmore would fit perfectly with them. At 6'1'', 190 lbs, he has the size and skills to come in and be a starter right away. If he is available at the end of the first round Green Bay will grab him. 

Detroit Lions in the First Round

The Lions had a successful season making it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2000. Their secondary was exposed in the last game of the regular season against Matt Flynn and the Green Bay Packers. One week later Drew Brees and the Saints picked them apart. 

The secondary is a concern going forward but so is the offensive line. The Lions could go after a corner like Janoris Jenkins but look for them to protect their current assets. Matthew Stafford can not continue to take a beating, and the team is going to need him to get the ball to the newly paid Calvin Johnson. 

Jonathan Martin would be a high value pick at No. 23 in the first round. He protected Andrew Luck's blindside at Stanford and would come in and start for the Lions his first year. 

Chicago Bears in the First Round

The Bears went out and addressed their biggest need via trade by acquiring receiver Brandon Marshall. They still have gaping holes on the team including offensive line and secondary but in order to run Lovie Smith's Tampa Two defense you are going to need a pass-rush.

Julius Peppers has been a success since signing with the Bears a couple seasons ago but he needs help. The team's style of defense relies on a pass-rush that they just are not getting consistently. While it would be nice to get another player to protect Jay Cutler or maybe even another weapon to throw to, they are going to have to address the defensive line first. 

Whitney Mercilus is a relentless pass-rusher from the Big Ten who has a relentless motor. If placed on the opposite side of Peppers you could see Mercilus rack up big sack numbers and free up space for guys like Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs to make plays. 

Minnesota Vikings in the First Round

The Vikings had a rough season last year, hence the pick in the top three. Christian Ponder struggled to show whether or not he can be the franchise quarterback going forward and Adrian Peterson is coming off of a significant knee injury. 

What the Vikings need is a sure thing. A rock to build upon and help players like Ponder and Peterson get better. If anybody tells you Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are the only can't miss players in the draft, they are wrong. 

Matt Kalil is by far the best offensive lineman in the draft and could be the best player overall out the group. He's strong, explosive and has all the tools to be an All-Pro in the NFL for the next decade. 

Having a bad season is never good but being able to draft a guy like Kalil can go a long way toward making sure you're never in that spot again. 

Green Bay Packers in the Rest of the Draft

If the Packers draft a corner in the first round expect the deepest team in the division to add depth in other areas. Along the defensive line, offensive line, secondary and a backup quarterback should come into play. 

The Packers have always done a great job finding impact players in the late rounds especially on offense, but look for them to focus more on defense this time around.

Still you should see a swingman offensive lineman and maybe even Wisconsin's mobile and accurate quarterback Russell Wilson late in the draft. 

Detroit Lions in the Rest of the Draft

The Lions have taken care of their need for an offensive lineman in the first round. What's next? You fill those holes in the secondary. However you don't want to reach at a position. 

If a quality player at the secondary position is not available in the second or third rounds then expect the team to go after depth maybe at the defensive line, linebacker or running back positions. That could free up a pick in the fourth round for a player like Markelle Martin. 

Martin is a very instinctive safety out of Oklahoma State. His physical style and ability to tackle well would be a welcome addition to the rough and tough NFC North. 

Chicago Bears in the Rest of the Draft

The Bears seem to making making their free-agent focus on offense. That means the defensive side of the ball will be looked at in the draft. Like the other teams in the division the team needs help in the secondary. 

The Bears have let some of their free-agent corners go including Zach Bowman and Corey Graham. They did this because they will pick replacements and expect one to come fairly early. 

Jayron Hosley is a quality corner out of Virginia Tech who could be around when the Bears pick in the second round. He has fallen this low due to an injury riddled junior season but the season before that he led the nation with 10 interceptions. 

Hosley would be a welcome addition on defense and special teams. 

Minnesota Vikings in the Rest of the Draft

The Vikings have so many holes they are basically on a best player available plan in the draft. They will pick Matt Kalil with their first pick, and that's a great player. Going forward the more weapons they can put around Christian Ponder the better. 

Alshon Jeffery is a hot button topic in this year's draft. He is clearly a player with first-round talent but will most likely fall to the second round due to attitude issues.

If he is there when the Vikings pick in the second round, he could be a good fit—a big, physical receiver for Ponder to go to opposite the speedy Percy Harvin.