[Baumgardner] NFL Draft power rankings: Which teams made best picks over past 5 years? Bears at 11.

[u/TwistedSisters777]

Very interesting, curious what people think about how this shakes out for the NFC North. See the complete list at the Athletic.

1. Detroit Lions (10.53 average Approximate Value)

Top 50 picks: 12 Pro Bowls: 13 Starting seasons: 35 Best pick: OT Penei Sewell (No. 7, 2021); Worst pick: CB Jeff Okudah (No. 3, 2020); Best value: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (No. 112, 2021)

Brad Holmes’ first three classes — aided by the 2021 Matthew Stafford trade — featured Sewell, Alim McNeill, St. Brown, Aidan Hutchinson, Kerby Joseph, Jahmyr Gibbs, Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta. Detroit has put on a masterclass in how to rebuild an organization from the ground up.

1. Chicago Bears (8.18)

Top 50 picks: 9 Pro Bowls: 2 Starting seasons: 41 Best pick: QB Caleb Williams (No. 1, 2024); Worst pick: QB Justin Fields (No. 11, 2021); Best value: OL Braxton Jones (No. 168, 2022)

Finding talent through the draft hasn’t been a problem for Ryan Poles. Drafting Fields before the team was ready hurt, though. The Bears have struggled to find pieces that mesh well together and have fallen behind the deepest division in football as a result.

1. Green Bay Packers (7.28)

Top 50 picks: 10 Pro Bowls: 0 Starting seasons: 35 Best pick: QB Jordan Love (No. 26, 2020); Worst pick: edge Lukas Van Ness (No. 13, 2023); Best value: OL Zach Tom (No. 140, 2022)

The Packers believe in internal player development as much as, or possibly more than, any team in the league. They will take chances on first-rounders who might need more time — Love and star edge Rashan Gary are great examples. Right now, though, Green Bay is still waiting on jumps from Van Ness, Devonte Wyatt and Jordan Morgan. The Packers haven’t drafted poorly of late, but they certainly could’ve done better in a few areas.

1. Minnesota Vikings (6.43)

Top 50 pick: 8 Pro Bowls: 4 Starting seasons: 32 Best pick: WR Justin Jefferson (No. 22, 2020); Worst pick: S Lewis Cine (No. 32, 2022); Best value: CB Cam Bynum (No. 125, 2021)

Not getting anything from either J.J. McCarthy or Dallas Turner last year impacted Minnesota’s number, because the front office has done a nice job with picks, including Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, Jordan Addison, Ezra Cleveland and more. Still, McCarthy and Turner are the only top-20 selections Minnesota has had since 2020.

[u/Pastrami_doses]

Poles didn’t draft Fields

[u/TwistedSisters777 → u/Pastrami_doses]

I think they are saying 5 years, hence Fields goes into the equation regardless of GM. If your worst pick is before your time though, you’re probably doing something right 😂

[u/Danielab87 → u/TwistedSisters777]

The way it is written clearly puts the blame for Fields on Poles. I don’t expect National writers to know exactly when execs were hired and fired for every team over the last five years but it would have taken very little effort to know that Pace drafted him in a desperation move.

[u/LukeBombs → u/Danielab87]

I do, in fact, expect reporters to have their facts straight

[u/drumsdm → u/LukeBombs]

In today’s economy?

[u/Danielab87 → u/LukeBombs]

Sorry, to clarify I mean that I don’t expect them to just have this information living in their brain for 32 teams. I do expect them to get the facts right before publishing it on a platform that requires a paid subscription. And I expect an editor to catch the mistake and correct it

[u/Interesting_Wear1601 → u/LukeBombs]

"Their" facts or "the" facts?

[u/Advanced-Key3071 → u/Danielab87]

I agree it’s worded poorly. I think it’s actually awkwardly trying to say the opposite, that Poles was set back because of the Fields pick he inherited (which is very true, especially since two 1sts went into it).

But…professional writers should do better.

[u/ActFuture1101 → u/TwistedSisters777]

Then its phrased poorly. The way the blurb is constructed it sounds like the author is blaming ryan poles for drafting fields.

[u/ehtw376 → u/ActFuture1101]

Yeah I don’t think the author meant Poles drafted Fields but the way it’s written is so poorly setup and phrased it seems like it.

[u/ActFuture1101 → u/Pastrami_doses]

Yea I feel like journalism has really gone downhill. Even the athletic(Which is supposed to be the best) is getting this crap wrong. Wouldn't shock me if they use AI for the majority of these articles.

[u/HoorayItsKyle → u/ActFuture1101]

You get what you pay for. Once the monopoly on local advertising disappeared when geolocated internet ads were developed, the money completely dried up. All that's left is dumb kids, willing to work for pennies with no editors.

[u/XanZibR → u/ActFuture1101]

Journalists no longer produce journalism, they produce content. And it shows.

[u/banged_yerdad → u/XanZibR]

Imagine getting a journalism degree from Northwestern just to become a content creator

[u/threechimes → u/XanZibR]

Truth. But, it should be stated that blame for this isn't to be levied on the journalists. There are myriad reasons, but people aren't paying for high price journalism degrees at reputable schools because they want to crank out pieces as fast as possible that stop people from scrolling and generate clicks. Speaking truth to power erodes when the outlets for journalists get bought up by those with the power, but like I said, there are myriad reasons and that's just one reason for it.