NFC North: Lions add DE Aidan Hutchinson, WR Jameson Williams in draft haul

The Bears, Lions and Vikings entered the 2022 NFL Draft in a familiar position — chasing Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the NFC North.

The Packers, in fact, have dominated even draft night the past two seasons. In 2020, they pulled a surprise by taking Utah State quarterback Justin Love with the 26th overall pick — trying to repeat their success in drafting Rodgers with the 24th overall pick when Brett Favre was still in his prime.

But the Packers 2020 draft-night gambit was a mere murmur compared to the atomic bomb Rodgers dropped on the draft last year. Hours before the first round opened, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Rodgers was so disenchanted with the Packers that he “does not want to return to the team.”

That bombshell put the draft on its ear all night. The Bears made a bold move to trade up from 20th to 11th in the first round to draft Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. But while that was huge news in Chicago, the shockwaves of Rodgers’ status with the Packers ruled the day pretty much everywhere else.

So, fairly typically, the Packers’ rivals in the NFC North were in a typical position as the first-round commenced Thursday night — trying to keep up with the Packers. The Bears and Vikings have undergone regime change, with a new general manager/head coach combo in 2022 (Ryan Poles/Matt Eberflus for the Bears; Kwesi Adofo-Mensah/Kevin O’Connell for the Vikings). The Lions, under second-year GM Brad Holmes and second-year head coach Dan Campbell, had the second overall pick after going 3-13-1 last season —their fourth consecutive top-10 pick (the drafted seventh, third and eighth the previous three seasons).

The Lions, with that No. 2 pick,took Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who looked like the No. 1 overall pick until he was leap-frogged by Georgia outside linebacker Travon Walker in the evaluation process.

Hutchinson, from the Detroit suburb of Plymouth, had 14 sacks last season, is expected to boost a Lions defense that ranked 31st in points and 29th in yards last season. He told reporters at the draft in Las Vegas he was hoping the Lions would take him.

“Just to have the opportunity to play at home in front of a lot of the same fans,” he said, “I’m so grateful and I can’t tell you how excited I am.”

The Lions traded with the Vikings to move from No. 32 to No. 12 in the first round and took Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams, an explosive player who might have been the first receiver taken had he not torn his ACL in the national championship game against Georgia.

The Lions traded the No. 32 pick in the first round, the No. 34 pick in the second round and the No. 66 pick in the third round to the Vikings in exchange for the No. 12 overall pick and the No. 46 pick in the second round.

Williams, who had 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, could optimistically still be ready to play at the start of training camp in late July.

The Packers, who had two first-round picks (No. 22 and No. 28)were in the market for a wide receiver after trading Davante Adams to the Raiders. But after six wide receivers were taken in the first 20 picks for the first time in modern draft history, the Packers took Georgia linebacker Quay Walker with the 22nd overall pick.

It wasn’t a big surprise. They still had No. 28 in hand. And with the Packers history of turning second-round receivers into stars with Rodgers at quarterback — Adams (2014), Randall Cobb (2011) and Jordy Nelson (2008) —you couldn’t blame them if they figured they could wait.