Tim Twentyman

The 2026 NFL Draft is complete, and teams are now looking to get their draft picks, undrafted players and tryout players in the building and on the field across the league before they join the veterans for OTAs. The four teams in the NFC North certainly believe they are better today than they were early last week thanks to the new infusion of young talent via this year's draft.

Now that the dust has settled on the draft, let's look at who Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay and Minnesota added to their rosters and how it might impact the division moving forward:

DETROIT

Draft picks: Rd 1 TBlake Miller(Clemson), Rd 2 EDGEDerrick Moore(Michigan), Rd 4 LBJimmy Rolder(Michigan), Rd 5 CBKeith Abney II(Arizona State), Rd 5 WR Kendrick Law (Kentucky), Rd 6 DT Skyler Gill-Howard (Texas Tech), Rd 7 DL Tyre West (Tennessee).

Most impactful pick:The expectation for Miller, the No. 17 overall pick, is to be the starting right tackle for the 2026 season and be the guy there for the next decade or so as a bookend tackle with All-ProPenei Sewell. That would certainly be impactful.

Sleeper pick:Abney is a player general manager Brad Holmes said he had a third-round grade on but was able to snag in the fifth-round. His skill set looks to fit perfectly in the nickel as an aggressive player in coverage who isn't afraid to tackle in the run game. He could have an early impact.

Twentyman:Holmes and the Lions were able to fill several key needs with players they believe can be immediate contributors but who are also culture fits. Detroit's gotten younger and more athletic in the trenches, and that's where the identity of this football team starts on both sides of the ball.

CHICAGO

Draft picks:Rd 1 S Dillon Thieneman (Oregon), Rd 2 C Logan Jones (Iowa), Rd 3 TE Sam Roush (Stanford), Rd 3 WR Zavion Thomas (LSU), Rd 4 CB Malik Muhammad (Texas), Rd 5 LB Keyshaun Elliott (Arizona State), Rd 6 DT Jordan van den Berg (Georgia Tech)

Most impactful pick:The Bears view Thieneman as a rare safety opposing offenses must account for because of his speed, skill set and position versatility. He's expected to step right in and fill the open vacancy at one of the two safety spots next to veteran Coby Bryant.

Sleeper pick:The Bears have several unproven linebackers after T.J. Edwards and Devin Bush, so there's an opportunity for Elliott to compete for playing time on defense and be a four-core special teamer early on.

Twentyman:Thieneman is an instant impact player, but a lot of the rest of this class improves depth with a look to the future. Jones will learn behind veteran Garrett Bradbury and cross-train at guard. Roush fills the No. 3 tight end role behind Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet. The Bears are focused on continuing to build their culture under second-year head coach Ben Johnson and I believe they accomplished that.

"We're looking for high-level competitors, guys that if you took football away from them, they really don't know what to do with themselves," Johnson told chicagobears.com. "It's a huge part. They eat it, they sleep it, they breathe it, and I think we're able to identify those types of guys. When you have guys like that, they usually find a way to come out on top."

GREEN BAY

Draft picks:Rd 2 CB Brandon Cisse (South Carolina), Rd 3 DT Chris McClellan (Missouri), Rd 4 EDGE Dani Dennis-Sutton (Penn State), Rd 5 - IOL Jager Burton (Kentucky), Rd 6 CB Domani Jackson (Alabama), Rd 6 K Trey Smack (Florida)

Most impactful pick:Cisse has a chance to compete for an early role, but he's probably more of a 2027 impact player. Dennis-Sutton, however, with his size and consistent production across multiple seasons, has a chance to be an early contributor for the Packers' defensive front. Not sure how or why he slipped to Day 3 but could end up being a steal for the Packers.

Sleeper pick:Green Bay is coming off a four-point playoff loss to their bitter rivals Chicago, where they missed two field goals and an extra point. If Smack can win the job coming out of camp, he could be the most important player in the draft class for the Packers, and Green Bay could finally have their post-Mason Crosby answer at kicker.

Twentyman:When I look at these six selections, I see a lot of upside in several players. But how ready will a lot of these guys be to compete for roles immediately? I'm not sure. This could be a class that doesn't have a ton of impact right away, but in 2027 and beyond, several of these players have a chance to develop into core pieces at some important spots.

MINNESOTA

Draft picks:Rd 1 DT Caleb Banks (Florida), Rd 2 LB Jake Golday (Cincinnati), Rd 3 DT Domonique Orange (Iowa State), Rd 3 OT Caleb Tiernan (Northwestern), Rd 3 S Jakobe Thomas (Miami), Rd 5 TE/FB Max Bredeson (Michigan), Rd 5 CB Charles Demmings (Stephen F. Austin), Rd 6 RB Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest), Rd 7 C Gavin Gerhardt (Cincinnati)

Most impactful pick:The Vikings moved on from their two starting defensive tackles last season, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, which leaves a path for Banks to have an early impact. Banks is a very talented player with elite size and traits, but he's had two injuries in the past year to his left foot and played only three games at Florida last season. Definite risk-reward pick in Banks.

Sleeper pick:It's not completely out of the realm of possibility that Thomas can earn a starting role at safety depending on Harrison Smith's decision to return or retire. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Thomas is "a great fit as a safety in our defense." He's a player with high production (five interceptions last season) and a high football IQ.

Twentyman:Like Detroit, I thought Minnesota filled some key needs. Banks and Orange join a young group of well thought of veterans, which could be a nice rotation inside along Minnesota's defensive front for a long time. They definitely added size there. Golday has a chance to immediately fill the Jonathan Greenard role (traded to the Eagles) in Brian Flores' defense. There are some early contributors in this class with a lot of upside.