NFL Draft: NFC North Could Load Up on G5 Talent in Round 1

Joe Londergan | Jan 30, 2025

Nov 16, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) prepares to take a handoff against the San Jose State Spartans in the fourth quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

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April's NFL Draft will once again be a huge generator of excitement for the football season to come, as several of the college game's best make the jump to the professional level.

The Group of Five could be fairly well represented on the first day of the Draft, with three names continually popping up in Mock Draft from amateurs and professionals alike: Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, East Carolina's Shavon Revel, and Marshall's Mike Green. In addition to being first-round talents, all three of those players could find new homes in the NFC North.

Jeanty, this past season's runner-up for the Heisman trophy, is the most likely candidate to crack the top ten. The Chicago Bears, who have the #10 overall selection, could potentially use a strong running back to take some of the pressure off of second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. That's the pick that CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso in his mock of the first round released earlier this week. The Bears were not one of the league's better rushing teams in 2024, carrying 431 times for 1734 yards.

As our friends over at Chicago Bears On SI point out, new Bears' head coach Ben Johnson knows how to effectively utilize running backs. During his recent tenure as the Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, Johnson saw Lions' running back Jahmyr Gibbs reach the pro bowl twice. The Bears have are in the middle of a rebuild, but adding Jeanty to the equation could get them significantly closer to where they want to be.

In Minneapolis, the Minnesota Vikings could use some help in the secondary with a few of their key DBs potentially testing the free agency market. ECU's 6'3" Shavon Revel could be a welcome fit there, despite still rehabbing a torn ACL. Revel had avery productive 24 games of Division I football, utilizing his length to procure 71 tackles with four for loss, a sack, three interceptions and 16 defended passes. Revel has been a popular mock selection for the Vikings at #24 overall, including in Trapasso's mock draft.

"With his injury occurring so early in the 2024 season, the Vikings are fine selecting him here. He's long, uber-talented and comes with plus ball skills." -- Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports

Finally, the reigning NFC North champion Detroit Lions could end up being a strong fit for Marshall defensive end Mike Green, who enjoyed a monster breakout season in 2024 with 17 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss. Trapasso included Green to Detroit as the #28 selection in his aforementioned mock draft as a project worthwhile for Lions pass rush that wasn't at their best (injuries played a factor) in 2024.

"Green needs to add weight and power to his game -- the rest of his profile looks first-round caliber. The burst and flattening ability are tremendous." -- Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports

The 2025 NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. That Thursday could be a very fun one for G5 fans and upper-midwest NFL fans alike, if these predictions come to fruition.

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