High-Profile QBs Put Spotlight on NFC North

The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft is in the books, and every team in the NFC North added fresh talent to their roster.

The NFC North as a whole made seven picks on the first night of the draft in Detroit, ranging from the No. 1 overall all the way down to 25th pick. We saw the flashiness of a couple teams drafting their franchise quarterbacks of the future, along with a few picks that may not have been flashy, but filled positional needs. So, let's get into who they picked, why they picked them and what can we expect in the coming days ahead.

Chicago Bears

Coming into the draft, the Bears, along with pretty much the entire country, knew exactly who they were taking at No. 1 overall—Caleb Williams. The quarterback from USC has every tool you could dream of for a modern day quarterback. I'm sure you've already heard it a million times, but he truly is the only player in recent memory who looks like Patrick Mahomes (who in my and many's opinion is the most talented quarterback ever). Now, after all the offseason debate on who should be the quarterback of the future in Chicago, Williams has officially arrived.

Although Williams is the pick that will get most of the attention in Chicago and across the league, we can't forget about Rome Odunze at No. 9. The wide receiver out of Washington was the most consistent receiver in the class, and although he may not be quite as explosive as his counterparts (Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers), he could've easily been the first receiver off the board in many years. The Bears have successfully added their franchise quarterback and gotten him a high-end weapon for years to come.

All in all, the Bears' first round selections ended up being pretty simple. Things will get a little harder for Ryan Poles and company in the coming days as they currently have two picks remaining at No. 75 (R3) and No. 122 (R4), and still have holes to fill on the offensive and defensive lines.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings were a team that many people around the league had their eye on as a potential candidate to trade-up for a quarterback. Although the Vikings did end up trading-up for a quarterback, it wasn't as early as most thought. Coming into the draft, many believed the Vikings would trade into a top-four slot, but it ended up just being a one-pick jump from No. 11 to No. 10. The Vikings ended up going with Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy—a polarizing prospect to evaluate. McCarthy has the physical tools of a top prospect, but is also very young and played on the best roster in college football. In an ideal world McCarthy will be able to sit and develop, but with Sam Darnold being the current starter, who knows how long Minnesota will be able to keep him on the bench.

The Vikings ended up trading to a higher spot not once, but twice, as they moved up to No. 17 to draft Alabama defensive end Dallas Turner. Snagging Turner at the 17th pick was one of the better picks of the evening, on a night that was heavy on offense early on. Turner is arguably the best defender in the class, making this a great pick in the middle of the first round.