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Each Thursday leading up to the NFL draft (April 28-30), the ESPN.com NFL blog network will take a division-by-division look at key aspects of the draft. Today's topic: Draft Philosophy.

Chicago Bears

General manager Jerry Angelo has emerged from what amounted to a two-year draft hiatus following the high-profile trades for quarterback Jay Cutler and late defensive end Gaines Adams. It will be interesting to see if any philosophical shifts are detectable in what will be the Bears' first draft since Angelo overhauled his front office. Director of college scouting Greg Gabriel departed, his position was dissolved and Tim Ruskell was hired to oversee the college and pro scouting departments. To this point, there has been a general sense that Angelo -- a onetime scouting director himself -- has been drawn to individual players he likes more than he has been guided by a larger plan to build a balanced team. Case in point: He has drafted 18 defensive backs and 11 offensive linemen over his tenure. Six of those 11 offensive linemen were taken in the seventh round, part of the reason the Bears are short-handed at the position this offseason.

Detroit Lions

If the Lions have proved anything under general manager Martin Mayhew, it's that they value every last drop of the draft. In some instances, Mayhew has gone to great lengths to secure an extra pick, no matter what round it is in. On at least two occasions, he has traded a player recently signed as a street free agent or claimed on waivers for a seventh-round draft pick. In several cases, Mayhew has included those picks in trades for other players. This spring, he and the Lions appealed a relatively mild NFL tampering discipline, hired a prominent attorney and achieved the slightest reduction in the penalty: A seventh-round pick lost in 2012 rather than 2011. Some teams consider seventh-round picks to be throwaways or places to grab a player otherwise destined for college free agency to avoid a bidding war on signing bonuses. Under Mayhew, the Lions use them as a daily commodity.

Green Bay Packers

Generally speaking, more is better for the Packers. It's been well-chronicled that Packers general manager Ted Thompson built his championship team almost exclusively through the draft, and that approach requires volume to gather enough depth and maximize the chances for hitting big on players. Thompson famously traded back into the 2009 first round to select linebacker Clay Matthews, but a betting man realizes it's far more likely that he will trade back in any given year to accumulate more picks. Thompson rarely pursues the hot name or flashy personalities or even flashy players. Case in point: Choosing nose tackle B.J. Raji over receiver Michael Crabtree in 2009. But there is no arguing with the Packers' approach under Thompson, which has built layers of quality -- if not elite -- depth at multiple positions across the board.

Minnesota Vikings

Every team insists that talent trumps need in the draft, but under vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman, the Vikings have drafted for need more often than you might think. Consider 2010. The Vikings entered the draft knowing their depth was thin behind injured cornerback Cedric Griffin, who was rehabilitating a torn anterior cruciate ligament. They also had lost backup tailback Chester Taylor via free agency. Their first two picks? Cornerback Chris Cook and running back Toby Gerhart. In 2009, they wanted to replace right tackle Ryan Cook. The answer was Phil Loadholt, their second-round pick. In 2008, the Vikings traded up to draft safety Tyrell Johnson because they knew starter Darren Sharper was entering his final season. There's a difference between taking what the draft gives you and maneuvering to make sure it gives you what you want. The Vikings lean toward the latter under Spielman.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Al Harris pulled on a brown leather coat, turned around from his locker and for a moment I thought I was looking at the wrong guy. There were no crutches to be seen. No medical officials were hovering. Harris looked like any other Packers player departing Lambeau Field.

Then he took a step, and that was it. Harris could not put any weight on his left knee, and it appears a virtual certainty he will miss the rest of the season. The same could be true for linebacker Aaron Kampman, who like Harris, rode a cart off the field in the second half of the Packers’ 30-24 victory over San Francisco. Multiple reports suggested both players tore their anterior cruciate ligaments, but coach Mike McCarthy said only that the injuries "did not look very good."

Regardless, the Packers almost certainly will be left to pursue a wild-card playoff berth without two of their most prominent players.

“Those are two staples of our defense,” cornerback Charles Woodson said. “They are great guys and teammates. I don’t know the extent of either one of their injuries right now. But not to have those guys is going to be tough going for this team.”

Through all of their trials in pass protection and scheme adjustment, the Packers have strung together consecutive victories to put themselves in position for a playoff spot. At 6-4, they’re part of a second tier of NFC teams behind the division leaders. That group includes the New York Giants (6-4) and Philadelphia (6-4).

Otherwise, the Packers have gained an advantage over Atlanta (5-5), Chicago (4-6), San Francisco (4-6) and Carolina (4-6) with six games to play. I believe they’ve tweaked their offense sufficiently enough to mitigate some problems in pass protection, having rediscovered their running game while targeting checkdown receivers more frequently. (Sunday, tailback Ryan Grant rushed for 129 yards while backup Brandon Jackson and tight end Jermichael Finley combined for 13 receptions.)

But even with Harris and Kampman on the field, the Packers were just starting to turn the corner on defense. To me, the biggest question of their playoff run isn’t whether they can protect Rodgers. It’s whether defensive coordinator Dom Capers can piece together a game plan to match their looming personnel turnover.

Their new mix is likely to include Tramon Williams in Harris’ spot along with rookie Brandon Underwood in the nickel. Rookie Brad Jones and veteran Brady Poppinga would replace Kampman.

“It’s like that in the NFL,” Capers said. “A week ago, when we didn’t have Aaron, Brad went in and did a nice job and we played well. Their job is to get ready and our job is to see how much we think they can handle and what they can do to find a way to play and win the game.”

I think most of us can agree the Packers strung together their best six quarters of defense last week against Dallas and in the first half Sunday against the 49ers. Here’s what the Cowboys and 49ers managed over that stretch:

Points: 10
Yards: 335
First Downs: 18

Now look at what happened from the moment Harris joined Kampman in the locker room at the 10:52 mark in the fourth quarter. See what the 49ers amassed in 10 offensive plays to close out the game:

Points: 14
Yards: 92
First downs: 5

The Packers suddenly couldn’t stop a team they had limited to one first down in the first half. Frankly, the Packers locked down the victory mostly because their offense ran the final 5:50 off the clock.

Capers noted that the 49ers began their comeback before Harris was injured, but I don’t think you can underestimate the domino effect of his departure. I’m well aware that rookie Michael Crabtree beat him for a 38-yard touchdown in the third quarter, but to that point Harris had blanketed him.

Woodson, for one, said Harris had made substantial progress in accepting the scheme recently.

“The last two weeks,” Woodson said, “the way he has studied, knowing what he’s going to get out there on the field, has drastically improved.”

Williams has a nose for the ball and is a decent playmaker, but I’m far from sold on his coverage skills. Crabtree, not noted for his speed, ran right past him on a 35-yard pass that set up the 49ers’ final touchdown.

“The second half, it wasn’t real good,” Williams said. “It’s a win, but deep down inside, we know it wasn’t a winning performance against a good team.”

In the worst-case scenario, in fact, the Packers will have two late-round draft picks in prominent roles for the rest of the season. Underwood (Round 6b) is the likeliest candidate for nickel, and Jones (Round 7) will certainly see significant time in Kampman’s place.

Like Harris, it seemed as though Kampman was beginning to find a comfort zone in the Packers' defense over the past few weeks. After sitting out the Cowboys game because of a concussion, Kampman sacked 49ers quarterback Alex Smith in the first quarter and unofficially finished with a team-high four solo tackles.

If he is lost for the season, you have to wonder if Kampman has played his final game in a Packers uniform. His contract expires after this season, and while it’s clear he can be part of a successful 3-4 defense, it’s equally clear his skills are not maximized in it.

But Sunday’s sack came from a nickel-like package in which Kampman rushed from a down-lineman’s position. Kampman’s productivity has increased since Capers began giving him more opportunities to rush as a defensive end.

“I’m not sure how he felt about the defense this season and switching schemes,” Woodson said. “But I know one thing: Nobody worked harder at it trying to be a productive member of this team. I know he was excited, especially how we did last weekend [and with us] doing some good things today. To see a guy [seriously injured] that you know works hard at the game and loves the game, both him and Al, is a tough thing.”

And not just for Woodson. Overcoming these injuries, while maintaining their recent standard of defensive play, will be the key to the Packers’ season.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- We've reached the part of training camp where an unsigned draft choice ceases to be a fresh news story and thus falls off the ledge of daily discussion. Unless a miraculous deal occurs in the next hour or so, Green Bay defensive tackle B.J. Raji will miss his ninth practice Friday amid a continued logjam atop the NFL draft class.

As of Friday morning, all but one of the players drafted between No. 6 and No. 12 were unsigned. Oakland receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey's bloated $38 million deal is one of the causes, as is the unusual demands and situation surrounding San Francisco and receiver Michael Crabtree at No. 10.

I caught up Friday with Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson, who seems resigned to the fact that Raji and the Packers are caught up in a larger market issue. The Packers have been hoping Raji can step in at left defensive end, a position he rarely played in college, but Thompson isn't ready to hit the dump button on that plan just yet.

"I think every situation is a little different," Thompson said. "It kind of depends on the kid and what you're going to ask him to do and that sort of thing. He's missing some valuable rep time, but we're not wringing our hands over it. There's nothing really we can do about it. It's just part of the business. It's a frustrating part, but it is what it is. Hopefully we can get that done and get him back out here. I'm sure he wants to be a part of this."

The Packers are back on the field at 3 p.m. Friday afternoon. I'll be there and will check back with you afterwards.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

MANKATO, Minn. -- Thanks to everyone who participated in Monday's chat, held live from the Vikings' media center at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

You can review the entire transcript here, but Nick gave us the opportunity to update the B.J. Raji situation in Green Bay.

Nick (Marshfield, WI)

Any word on why the deal with Raji is taking so long? Does he have some specific issues with the contract he's being offered?

Kevin Seifert (1:12 PM)

I think it's mostly a slotting problem. Michael Crabtree at No. 10 isn't signed, so Raji's agent isn't going to want to take a deal that might ultimately be worse than Crabtree's. And Darrius Heyward-Bey's big contract is making it difficult on the other side.

Let's expand on that answer a bit. Raji, of course, was the No. 9 overall pick in the draft. If you look at this chart compiled by our ESPN.com editing staff, you'll see that only one player between picks six and 12 are signed. That would be Heyward-Bey, whose five-year contract represents about a 17 percent increase over that of the No. 7 overall pick last season (New Orleans defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis.)

So at this point, the only thing agents and negotiators have to go by in determining 2009 values between 6-12 is the 17 percent increase Oakland gave Heyward-Bey. That hefty jump is spurring caution as everyone waits for another team or agent to jump out and further define the market.

That's a big part of what's causing the holding pattern that Raji finds himself in. As we learned Sunday with Minnesota receiver Percy Harvin, stalemated negotiations can jump-start on a moment's notice. But there are so many unknowns in that portion of the draft that it could take some time before things flesh out and everyone gets to training camp.

What does that mean for Raji? At least a couple of days and maybe more. On with the show.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

The 2009 draft began early in the NFC North. The arrival of new Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler raised the stakes in the Black and Blue, and in some ways the rest of the division spent the weekend trying to catch up.

NFC North Draft Picks • Chicago Bears • Detroit Lions • Green Bay Packers • Minnesota Vikings

Detroit drafted Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, a strong-armed passer whose physical skills have been compared to Cutler. Minnesota attempted to improve the players around its own shaky quarterback situation, drafting receiver Percy Harvin and offensive tackle Phil Loadholt. And Green Bay devoted a pair of first-round draft picks to improving a defense that will face three improved offenses in division play.

The Cutler trade left the Bears with a shallow class, but they had a four-week head start. Let's take a look at the highs and lows of the weekend from a Black and Blue perspective.

Best move

In a rare marriage of need and talent level, Green Bay managed to select the best defensive lineman in the draft when it took Boston College nose tackle B.J. Raji with the No. 9 overall pick.

	Cliff Welch/Icon SMI
	B.J. Raji gives the Packers some flexibility along the defensive line.

Need-based fanatics could point out that the Packers already had a starting nose tackle in Ryan Pickett. They could also document greater needs at defensive end, linebacker and offensive tackle. Fantasy football players, meanwhile, were probably drooling at the possibility of receiver Michael Crabtree joining an offense that already includes quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receivers Greg Jennings and Donald Driver.

But you don't pass over a player of Raji's caliber because you have Ryan Pickett on your roster. You don't grab the fourth-best offensive tackle ahead of the top defensive lineman. And you don't turn greedy with your offense when it was your defense that largely put you in a 6-10 hole last season.

And so Thompson pounced on Raji, who figures to start immediately. Pickett could move to end, or defensive coordinator Dom Capers could find other innovative ways to keep both players on the field. If you're the Packers, it's a great problem to have.

Riskiest move

The Vikings might have drafted the NFL's 2009 rookie of the year, or they could have the league's latest embarrassment. The spectrum is that wide for Harvin, whose resume of questionable behavior dates far beyond a reported positive drug test at the annual scouting combine.

Harvin's competitiveness has sometimes gotten the best of him, resulting in multiple suspensions during high school competition in Virginia. Harvin attributed most of his mistakes to "growing up," but it's pretty clear the Vikings have a live wire on their hands.

Should he keep himself in check, Harvin will get an opportunity to excel against defenses that will be focused on tailback Adrian Peterson. Harvin's open-field running ability is unparalleled for receivers, and he could also help in the short term as a kick returner.

The Vikings, however, aren't that far removed from an era of relative lawlessness highlighted by the exploits of receiver Randy Moss and a 2005 sex party aboard a cruise ship on Lake Minnetonka. They have made a great public showing of their internal crackdown on misbehavior, and as a result they have a lot riding on Harvin's future.

Most surprising move

In his first four drafts as the Packers' general manager, Ted Thompson executed 14 draft-day trades. All but one of them were to move down. It was a volume approach to roster-building: The more players you draft, the better your chances are of building quality depth. So I'm sure a few people fell out of their seats Saturday when Thompson gave up a second-round choice and a pair of third-round picks to move up from No. 41 overall to No. 26 in order to grab USC linebacker Clay Matthews III.

Matthews intrigues the Packers on a number of levels, but let's be honest: They faced urgency to start addressing the transitional holes revealed by their shift to the 3-4 defense. The team has been vague about who might start at outside linebacker opposite Aaron Kampman, and in retrospect it seems clear Thompson has planned to address the issue during the draft. When you target a position, and especially when you extend it to one particular player, you must be willing to wheel and deal. Surprisingly, Thompson was.

File it away

In a few years, we'll all be able to look back and determine whether Chicago general manager Jerry Angelo was right to trade himself out of the second round of this draft. The Bears had the No. 49 overall pick and were in position to draft Georgia receiver Mohamed Massaquoi or Alabama safety Rashad Johnson, but Angelo instead gave up the spot to acquire picks in the third and fourth rounds.

Reportedly, that decis
ion came after Angelo was unable to trade for Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin. The Bears also were hoping that Ohio safety Michael Mitchell would be available at No. 49, but Oakland grabbed him at No. 47.

In the end, Angelo addressed his defensive line with those choices -- selecting San Jose State defensive end Jarron Gilbert and Texas defensive end Henry Melton, respectively. Will Gilbert and Melton prove a better grab than anyone the Bears might have selected at No. 49? We'll file that one away for later.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

There were probably more words written Saturday on the NFL draft than any other event in the league calendar, including the Super Bowl. You're probably getting close to saturation levels, so I ran the quick spin through the NFC North coverage Sunday morning to find a small representative sample of the 900-page novels that were written.

I'll be working again Sunday at Detroit's facility, but will be taking more of a divisional approach for the rest of the draft. OK, here we go:

• As the second round began, Chicago either wanted to draft Ohio State receiver Brian Robiskie or acquire Arizona's Anquan Boldin, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times. But Cleveland grabbed Robiskie at No. 36 and the Cardinals turned down the Bears' offer for Boldin in exchange for the No. 49 overall pick.
• David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune on the Bears' pickless day: "The Bears' scouting department takes pride in doing its best work on the second day of the draft, and Saturday's move leaves [Jerry] Angelo no choice. It marked the first time since 1978 and only third time in team history that the Bears didn't make a pick in the first two rounds. A committed draftnik, Angelo almost looked disappointed when striding up to the podium to discuss his choice not to make a choice."
• The arrival of nose tackle B.J. Raji probably means Ryan Pickett will move to defensive end, writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Packers general manager Ted Thompson hadn't anticipated the possibility of Raji, receiver Michael Crabtree and offensive tackle Michael Oher all available at No. 9. Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel breaks down the moment.
• Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune on Minnesota's decision to draft receiver Percy Harvin: "Just as there are no atheists in foxholes, there can't be any moralists in NFL draft rooms."
• Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News on Detroit's drafting of quarterback Matthew Stafford: "It will take time for a new quarterback to develop on a bad team, time for the verdict to be rendered. I just hope the Lions use their time better than they used their money, better than they used the No. 1 overall pick. I'll say it once more -- I think drafting Stafford was a mistake, a gigantic gamble not worth taking. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong position for the NFL's first 0-16 team."
• Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press on Stafford: "People want to know if this was a smart pick. That's easy. When you are 0-16, how can anything be a dumb pick? You're terrible. You need help everywhere. If the Lions had picked a linebacker first, they'd still need a quarterback. If they'd picked a pass rusher first, they'd still need a tackle."
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Brett Longdin

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- When it came down to it, the Packers chose the big body over the star wideout.

By taking Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji with the No. 9 pick with Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree still on the board, defensive coordinator Dom Capers scored a huge prospect to plug in as the anchor of his 3-4 defense.

"There are a lot of difficult calls during the course of a draft and we think a lot of Michael Crabtree and a couple other guys," Packers general manager Ted Thompson said. "But we feel confident we did the right thing.

"All things being equal, you guys know how much we value big people, both on the offensive and defensive line. The good ones are really hard to find and it gets to be a supply and demand thing. It doesn't necessarily take away the value of another player at a different position. It's just that we've always put a lot of emphasis on that."

One of the things that impressed Thompson and his staff the most was the versatility the 6-foot-1 1/2, 337-pound Raji possesses. And it's because of his unique skills the Packers don't anticipate Raji to have to come off the field in passing situations.

"He's a very powerful, explosive interior defensive lineman that has ability to definitely play the run," Thompson said. "He also shows ability and power to be a pass-rusher from the inside.

"He's a classic nose tackle build. Hopefully we're taking football players. We think B.J. Raji's a really good football player. He's more than a space eater. ... He's genuinely a powerful, powerful man, especially in his lower body. He has the ability to take people backwards where they don't want to go. He also has the quickness to go around them. It's unbelievably hard to find the combination skill set that he brings. The good Lord just didn't make many people like this."

For those who wanted Crabtree with the No. 9 choice, he'll join the 49ers at Lambeau Field on Nov. 22.

Brett Longdin is an ESPN.com blog editor based in Wisconsin.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Welcome to draft day. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT'S FINALLY HERE?

We got things started a bit early in the Black and Blue with Friday night's news that Detroit had agreed to terms with Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford. (One down, 255 to go!)

I'm headed to Detroit early Saturday morning and will begin bringing you dispatches upon arrival. ESPN.com editor Brett Longdin is headed to Green Bay, and together we'll do our best to bring you some key thoughts from around the division throughout the weekend.

(A quick programming note: We're delaying the regular weekend mailbag, as most of the questions will be moot by the end of Sunday, anyway. Look for the next installment early next week.)

For now, let's chew on the latest news from around the NFC North -- beginning with an interesting angle from Green Bay that we haven't devoted much discussion to:

• Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree is the No. 1 player on the Packers' board. There's an outside chance Crabtree could be available when the Packers choose at No. 9 overall.
• All things equal, odds are that Green Bay will select Boston College nose tackle B.J. Raji, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Rob Demovsky of the Press-Gazette writes that Pro Bowl safety Nick Collins won't be reporting for the Packers' voluntary workouts anytime soon. Collins is upset that the team hasn't initiated discussions for a contract extension.
• Minnesota completed its draft board Wednesday but the Vikings were still tweaking it Friday amid indications they are considering Florida receiver Percy Harvin at No. 22 overall. Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune reports.
• Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press believes the Vikings will draft a quarterback in the later rounds as a developmental project.
• The biggest obstacle to Chicago acquiring receiver Anquan Boldin could be money -- and not draft picks -- writes David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.
• The Bears have made it known they're willing to trade down from the No. 49 overall pick, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Before agreeing to his contract, Stafford told Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press that he hoped to win Lions fans over but knows "You're not going to have everybody on your side wherever you go."
• Tony Augusty of the Detroit News has this advice for Stafford: "If you get cocky, remember: You play for the Lions."
• Via text message, Stafford said he is "unbelievably excited and truly blessed." Dave Birkett of the Oakland Press passes the message along.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

We brought you the first-round highlights of Mel Kiper's latest mock draft last week. Of course, the exercise left out a Chicago team that gave up its first-round pick in the Jay Cutler trade. But Mel's mock extended four rounds, giving us the opportunity to discuss the receiver he selected for the Bears in the second round with the No. 49 overall pick.

	Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
	Mel Kiper Jr. has the Bears selecting Georgia receiver Mohamed Massaquoi.

Like every other NFL team, the Bears plan to draft the best available athletes. But it is the assumption of many people that they -- Surprise! -- will just so happen to have a receiver at the top of their draft board when the No. 49 pick rolls around.

When you look at it, receiver is the Bears' last remaining area of need on offense after revamping the offensive line and upgrading at quarterback. (We'll save their defensive personnel for another day.)

Kiper has the Bears selecting Georgia receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, a reliable and big-framed pass catcher who would complement Devin Hester nicely. Massaquoi figures to develop into a strong possession receiver and received stellar grades from Scouts Inc. for his toughness, durability and character.

You need an Insider subscription to see the entire mock draft. But for those of you who are interested in draft strategy, I can tell you Massaquoi was the eighth receiver taken in this mock. The following were already off the board at No. 49:

Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree
Missouri's Jeremy Maclin
Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey
Rutgers' Kenny Britt
North Carolina's Hakeem Nicks
Florida's Percy Harvin
Ohio State's Brian Robiskie

Massaquoi is one of numerous receivers the Bears have worked out privately in recent weeks, although his came after the Cutler trade altered the Bears' draft status. Massaquoi was a team captain at Georgia, graduated in December and has excellent size at 6-foot-1 1/2 and 210 pounds. Here's how Scouts Inc. evaluated his competitiveness and toughness:

Willing to go across the middle and has shown ability to hold onto ball after taking a big hit. A physical blocker that works hard to sustain. Does a good job of throwing blocks for other receivers and flashes ability to deliver a knockout blow on crack-back blocks.

I always caution people against "shopping" for draft picks. The way a player performed in college is not always an indication of his pro potential. Sometimes "possession receiver" translates into "slow" in the NFL. (Massaquoi ran a 4.66 in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine.)

But no player available at No. 49 overall is a perfect prospect. Massaquoi, who caught 58 passes last year for the Bulldogs, likely will be the type of player -- if not the player -- the Bears wind up targeting.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Team needs: Receiver, safety, right tackle

Dream scenario: Chicago's personnel deficiencies at receiver all but mandate a significant commitment in the draft, starting with the No. 18 overall pick.

	Icon SMI
	Jeremy Maclin could provide an immediate upgrade to Chicago's receiving corps if he were available at No. 18.

At this point, it's possible that only one receiver -- Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree -- will be off the board when the Bears jump on the clock. That means Chicago will have its choice of Missouri's Jeremy Maclin, Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey, North Carolina's Hakeem Nicks, Rutgers' Kenny Britt, Florida's Percy Harvin and others. Grabbing the best of that remaining group at No. 18 would address a huge need at an appropriate value. Receivers don't often contribute immediately, but that's not always an expectation for a player drafted in the second half of the first round.

Plan B: I don't see a scenario in which the Bears won't have their choice of at least two of the receivers noted above. But some teams avoid drafting receivers in the first round because they are not always ready to contribute right away. If the Bears follow that thinking, they might look toward the offensive line or possibly trade down to explore the safety market in the second round. If they decide to go the route of an offensive lineman, the Bears might hope for Mississippi tackle Michael Oher or Arizona tackle Eben Britton to be available.

Scouts Inc. take: I think they need a receiver and I like the idea of a bigger guy like Hakeem Nicks. Harvin doesn't make as much sense for the Bears because what he does is a lot like what Devin Hester tries to do. To have a bigger guy like Hicks makes more sense on the opposite side. The receiver position is the toughest position to draft and develop. But I don't think they'll draft a receiver. That's the history of their general manager, Jerry Angelo. If I were them, I would be hoping that a tackle like Michael Oher from Mississippi would fall to them. That would be more of a Jerry Angelo type of pick. -- Jeremy Green

Who has final say: Jerry Angelo enters his eighth draft as the Bears' general manager.

Now On the Clock: New York Jets, March 30.

Previous On the Clock: Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team-by-team series.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando and Kevin Seifert

The Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks combined for six victories last season. That included two Seahawks victories over the Rams.

The draft won't fix these wayward teams overnight -- unless, of course, they follow the advice of NFC West blogger Mike Sando and NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert.

Kevin Seifert: Well, Mike, first off I'd like to thank the Seahawks and Lions for making our jobs a bit easier for the next six weeks. Before last weekend's trade that sent defensive tackle Cory Redding to Seattle for linebacker Julian Peterson, we were weighing the candidacies of too many players for the No. 1 overall pick in the April 25-26 draft.

	AP Photo/Darron Cummings
	Baylor tackle Jason Smith would help solidify the Lions' offensive line.

Would the Lions take Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford? Would they capitalize on the strong tackle class and swoop up Baylor's Jason Smith? Or would they make a compromise selection and take the player considered the safest pick in the draft, Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry?

Seems to me this trade has eliminated Curry from the Lions' mix. Don't you agree? I mean, would you draft Curry after giving up a promising defensive tackle (and also a fifth-round pick) for someone who plays the same position? I don't think I would. They say Curry could project as a middle linebacker in the NFL, but it would be awfully hard to justify drafting a middle linebacker with the No. 1 overall pick.

So that pretty much settles it, right? Wouldn't you agree that Curry is much more likely to wind up with one of your NFC West teams, whether it's St. Louis at No. 2 or Seattle at No. 4? If it were up to me, the Lions would take the best left tackle in the draft, and that would be Smith.

Mike Sando: I tend to see Curry landing with Kansas City in that third slot. The Rams could use him, sure, but they pretty much have to emerge from this draft with a starting offensive tackle. Can they find one after the first round? Probably, but 'probably' might not be good enough for a team that has invested so much in Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson. Upgrading the offensive line was the No. 1 priority this offseason. Signing Jason Brown solved the problem at center, but Alex Barron is the starting left tackle now that Orlando Pace is out. They're talking about having Jacob Bell move from left guard to right tackle. That doesn't sound promising.

As much as Steve Spagnuolo wants to build that defense, I'm not sure the Rams can resist taking a tackle. Once Curry makes it past the Rams, the Chiefs would seemingly be a good fit -- which would put Seattle in an interesting position. They've got Matt Hasselbeck, but should they consider Stafford under our scenario?

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

You know it's starting to be draft season when Mel Kiper Jr. starts adjusting the Big Board. You can view Kiper's updated ranking of the top 32 players here, but for your convenience -- and especially for those with interest in Detroit (No. 1 overall) and Green Bay (No. 9) -- here is Kiper's 10 best players in the draft as of Thursday night:

1. Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry
   
2. Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree
   
3. Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford
   
4. Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith
   
5. USC quarterback Mark Sanchez
   
6. Texas defensive end/linebacker Brian Orakpo
   
7. Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe
   
8. Missouri receiver Jeremy Maclin
   
9. Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji
   
10. Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith

A few thoughts:

• This is not a mock draft that predicts who will draft whom. It's simply Kiper's ranking of the best players.
• Like many observers after the combine, Kiper now considers Curry the draft's best player. There have only been two linebackers taken No. 1 overall since the 1970 merger. Will Detroit make Curry the third?
• Kiper now ranks Stafford ahead of Sanchez but is giving the latter more love than a lot of analysts. Sanchez didn't have a scintillating combine and his experience remains a question mark.
• Andre Smith now ranks as Mel's 10th-best player, but the bigger question is how many teams will be scared away by his character questions.
  

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

INDIANAPOLIS -- In a meeting with reporters Saturday, Chicago coach Lovie Smith seemed largely unconcerned about the news that Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree has a stress fracture in his left foot.

The Bears' needs at receiver have been well-documented, and it's possible the injury could leave Crabtree on the board until their No. 18 overall pick in the April draft.

"He's not going to play anytime soon," said Smith, noting training camp is five months away. "It's not a career-ending injury or anything like that. He's a good football player. He's got plenty of time to get well. I don't think that will hurt him a lot. ... Everybody has a history. He has a history. His history is pretty good. I think he'll be all right."

Smith did acknowledge the Bears need to upgrade the position and put it this way: "I think we need a good, solid, No. 2 to step up with Devin [Hester] as much as anything."

I'll be back in a few minutes with Smith's thoughts on the Bears' quarterback depth. You might be surprised. Stay tuned.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

INDIANAPOLIS -- In a perverse way, Saturday's news that Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree has a stress fracture in his left foot could benefit two NFC North teams.

Before the injury, Scouts Inc. ranked Crabtree as its top overall prospect. Most mock drafts have suggested that he would be no worse than a top-five pick in the April draft. The injury could sink his ranking by some degree -- possibly to the mid-round area where Chicago (No. 18) and Detroit (No. 20) are scheduled to pick.

NFL teams are still processing the medical information and implications of the injury. Last spring, Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart needed surgery on his right big toe but was still drafted by Carolina at No. 13 overall.

The Lions have met with Crabtree but were unlikely to take a receiver with the No. 1 overall pick. But one of the draft's top game-breakers with the No. 20 pick? That might be something to consider.

That is, of course, if the Bears haven't snapped him up first. Chicago's receiver deficiency has been well-documented, and the Bears have other needs as well. (Right tackle among them.) But Saturday's news means the Bears have a more legitimate chance to draft Crabtree than they thought they would when they arrived in Indianapolis.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

INDIANAPOLIS -- There isn't much precedent for how Green Bay should deal with the lingering issue of right tackle Mark Tauscher, who is rehabilitating a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee as he approaches free agency next week.

NFL teams don't often take financial risks with injured players, and Tauscher's value would seem to increase as he recovers over the course of the spring. That's the scenario general manager Ted Thompson laid out during a meeting with reporters Friday -- waiting until Tauscher is cleared medically before making him a significant offer -- but agent Neil Cornrich told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he expected Tauscher to be signed elsewhere before then.

Cornrich said: "From a medical standpoint, it's not really a big issue anymore" and added:

"Do they have someone better to play the position? Were they better than him? Would there be reason to think they'd be better than him this season?"

This could all be considered classic agent posturing on the part of Cornrich, who naturally wants to increase the pressure on Green Bay to make an offer now rather than later. It's always possible that Cornrich could find a team with a high risk tolerance that's willing to take Tauscher on earlier this spring.

But I doubt that scenario will impact Thompson's thinking. If he wants Tauscher back, it'll be on his terms.

Continuing around the NFC North on a fine Saturday morning here:

• The Packers likely will initiate contract extension talks with the agent for receiver Greg Jennings, who has one year left on his current contract. Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette examines the situation.
• Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times reports the Bears have had contact with the agent for impending free agent offensive lineman John St. Clair.
• Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune breaks down the receiver pool at the combine. Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree said he has spoken with several members of the Bears' staff. But it's pretty unlikely he'll be available at the Bears' No. 18 overall pick.
• Minnesota center Matt Birk, a pending free agent, said he wants to return to the Vikings, according to Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune. His agent spoke with team officials Friday.
• The Vikings are urging tailback Adrian Peterson to scale back his off-the-field commitments this offseason. Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has details.
• Detroit general manager Martin Mayhew said he plans to initiate contract discussions with multiple players in early April and wants to have a contract agreement in place with the No. 1 overall pick well before the draft. John Niyo of the Detroit News reports.
  
• Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com wonders if left tackle Jeff Backus really is willing to move to left guard, as Mayhew has indicated.
• David Birkett of the Oakland Press considers Daunte Culpepper the "heavy favorite" to enter training camp as the Lions' starting quarterback.
• USC quarterback Mark Sanchez had lunch with Lions officials Thursday afternoon, reports Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press.