The 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books. One of the best divisions in the NFL just got better with a handful of incredible talent coming in. For the Chicago Bears, they have a lot of work to do if they plan on repeating as champions of the division. There are going to be more challenges in their way to repeat what they did last year.
In the first round, the Detroit Lions made the 17th overall pick, the Minnesota Vikings went one pick later at No. 18, and then the Bears selected 25th. The Green Bay Packers did not have a first-round pick because they traded it to the Dallas Cowboys at the end of last offseason to acquire Micah Parsons.
How does each member of the division rank based on their overall draft? These exercises are hard to do less than two weeks after the draft is complete, but some classes are better on paper than others coming out. Did the teams address their needs properly? Did they draft with the “best player available” mentality? No strategy is right or wrong; it mostly depends on how each organization’s developmental system is.
Off the bat, this is how each member of the division ranks:
1. Detroit Lions
The Lions selected Clemson offensive tackle Blake Miller in the first round. Their offensive line has taken some hits since Ben Johnson departed for the Bears head coaching job, so they are now trying to rebuild it on the fly. Keeping Jared Goff on his feet is one of the keys to them having a bounce-back year in 2026, and they believe that Miller is going to make an impact.
Coming off a great year (and career) at Clemson, Miller is going to have an opportunity to start right away. Will Miller and Sewell alternate who is on a certain side of the line? Are any position changes in order? Well, that remains to be seen. The Lions are getting a durable player who they can count on to give them good play at a very important position.
In the second round, they selected defensive end Derrick Moore out of Michigan. He will be perfect to play opposite Aidan Hutchinson, who is also a Michigan alum. This duo could make opposing quarterbacks think twice as soon as day one together in 2026.
Overall, among every team in the NFC North, the Lions had the most disappointing season in 2025. They followed that up with a strong draft, the best in the division, and are poised for a bounce-back season in 2026.
2. Chicago Bears
Most people saw the trenches as the biggest offseason need for the Bears, and they were correct. They need depth at left tackle and center on offense, while also needing pass-rushing help. Whether it comes from an edge rusher or an interior player doesn’t matter; they just need more pressure.
With that said, a few key departures forced safety into the conversation as well. They added Coby Bryant earlier in the offseason, but he needed someone to play opposite him. Chicago made that move with the 25th overall pick by selecting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.
This can be seen as a fall for Thieneman, who had been a top-15 pick in mock drafts across the board. The Bears got tremendous value when they selected him in that spot. There were other safeties in the mix to think about if Thieneman were gone, but he was there for Ryan Poles and his staff to snag. The Bears led the NFL in takeaways last year, and Thieneman will come in looking to help keep them as an elite team at taking the ball away. They won’t lead the league in takeaways again with the 31st-best pass rush.
Through the rest of the draft, Chicago went more with a “best player on their board” mentality. They didn’t add a premier pass rusher, and they waited until their last pick to select a defensive lineman. They added a gadget and special teams wide receiver and a tight end, however, who are not needed at all, but Ben Johnson likes his weapons.
The reason they still rank second instead of last is that the players they did draft, including the center Logan Jones, are good players at their positions. The Bears will enjoy having them in the long-term, but some of the unaddressed issues may rear their ugly head in 2026.
3. Green Bay Packers
The Packers got Micah Parsons out of their 2026 first-round pick. He may be the best player at his position in the NFL, or at least in the top five. They will never regret making that decision. However, he doesn’t curve their draft grade based on the picks they were able to make in 2026.
Green Bay did land Brandon Cisse in the second round, who may make an impact on the team as soon as opening day. He needs to have a strong camp and preseason, and of course, stay healthy, but the tools are there for him to be great at this level. Cisse somewhat fell to the Packers in round two, so that could be a great thing for them.
Overall, none of their selections are going to be the reason they did (or didn’t) win the NFC North in 2026. It will mostly come down to the play and health of Jordan Love, not their draft class.
4. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings were one of the most unfortunate teams in the NFL last season. They won nine games, despite having some of the worst QB play in the NFL. JJ McCarthy was a rookie trying to learn his way, but he has a lot of development in front of him if he wants to remain a full-time starter. With Kyler Murray coming in, there is nothing guaranteed.
Being a Devin Duverynay kick return away from being division champions in the end, the Vikings know where they stand. If they see even a slight improvement under center in 2026, they will be truly elite again.
Adding to their defense was something that they needed to do coming into the draft. They did that with the 18th overall pick, which turned out to be Florida interior defensive lineman Caleb Banks. Choosing Banks was somewhat of a surprise for the Vikings, as he only played in three games last season. There were other defensive tackles available with fewer question marks, but the upside that he has as a player when healthy ultimately prevailed for them.
The red flags that exist with Banks because of his injury, which is a recurring one, make that a hard pick to justify right now. None of their other selections are looking like players who will be impactful in 2026, unless injuries pile up, and they are forced into action. Overall, it’s a disappointing showing by the team that may already have the most talent on the entire roster.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Ranking NFC North 2026 draft classes from best to worst
Reporting by Vincent Parise, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
