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We've been following the mock drafts of ESPN analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay/Scouts Inc. all spring, so it's probably appropriate to take a look at their final efforts here on draft day. You'll need ESPN Insider subscriptions to see both posts, but I'm authorized to give you a look at the NFC North-related picks. I've also added the representative picks from Dallas Morning News reporter Rick Gosselin, whose draft-day mock is annually one of the most accurate in the country:

Detroit Lions
Scouts: Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh
Kiper: Suh
Gosselin: Suh
Seifert comment: For what it's worth, this seems to be a national consensus.

Green Bay Packers
Scouts: USC tackle Charles Brown
Kiper: Idaho guard Mike Iupati
Gosselin: TCU linebacker Jerry Hughes
Seifert comment: I would take Iupati over Brown, but the Packers might go for Hughes over either.

Minnesota Vikings
Scouts: Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty
Kiper: Florida quarterback Tim Tebow
Gosselin: Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen
Seifert comment: I think coach Brad Childress honestly respects and would like to have Tebow. I'm also not convinced the Lito Sheppard signing would change the Vikings' direction on cornerbacks.

Chicago Bears (third round)
Scouts: Florida safety Major Wright
Gosselin: Wright
Seifert comment: Safety is a top need and a good position to draft in the third round.

With the draft two weeks and a day away (!), ESPN analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay gave us their latest take on the first round. You'll need an Insider subscription to view all 32 picks, but I have the distinct privilege of bringing you everything NFC North-related:

Detroit Lions (No. 2)
Kiper: Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh
McShay: Suh
Seifert comment: The Lions can't avoid taking the best player in the draft.

Green Bay Packers (No. 23)
Kiper: Idaho guard Mike Iupati
McShay: USC tackle Charles Brown
Seifert comment: A bit high to take a guard, but Iupati is a monster. Kiper is not a big Brown fan, but he is in the minority on that opinion.

Minnesota Vikings (No. 30)
Kiper: USC safety Taylor Mays
McShay: Alabama cornerback Kareem Jackson
Seifert comment: All things equal, I would prefer a cornerback over a safety here. But used correctly, Mays could be special.

MIAMI -- Now that Chicago has hired Mike Martz as its offensive coordinator, the next question becomes whom it will hire as defensive coordinator.

Bears general manager Jerry Angelo admitted during a conference call with reporters that filling both positions at the same time proved overly complicated, so the offensive job was prioritized. Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald has more on that.

To anyone’s knowledge, the only candidate interviewed for the job has been Perry Fewell, who ultimately took a similar position with the New York Giants. Coach Lovie Smith said he has ruled out no candidates, raising speculation he could promote defensive line coach Rod Marinelli or defensive backs coach Jon Hoke.

But based on the way the Bears conducted their search for Martz, it seems likely there will be other interviews. Stay tuned.

For now, let’s take a spin around the division:

• Newly retired quarterback Kurt Warner said “it’s going to take some time” for Bears quarterback Jay Cutler to adapt to the way Martz runs an offense. But “in the long run, the stuff he teaches makes a quarterback better,” Warner said, according to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Although the tight end hasn’t always been a big part of Martz’s passing games, Bears incumbent Greg Olsen will have a big role, according to Vaughn McClure and Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• Behind-the-scenes drama is always a possibility with Martz, writes Melissa Isaacson of ESPN Chicago.
• Green Bay might not be among the teams asking assistant coaches to take a wage reduction in the event of a 2011 lockout, according to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press wonders if the Lions could draft Idaho guard Mike Iupati with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2010 draft.
• Martz’s arrival in Chicago means Minnesota will retain quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers, notes Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune.
• A special master denied the NFL’s attempt to eliminate its secondary revenue sharing program, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. The league will appeal, but for now, that means Minnesota won’t lose a revenue stream that can top $10 million.

As the Senior Bowl practices build up to Saturday’s game, I figured we could have some fun and try matching one participant with each NFC North team. I did my best to consider where each team is drafting, but this is mostly about filling needs -- and enjoying ourselves in the dark days of the early NFL offseason.

Remember, our friends at Scouts Inc. are putting together a daily blog of practice evaluation over on our draft page. Here goes nothing:

Chicago Bears
Player: Nebraska safety Larry Asante
Comment: Safety might be the Bears’ top need, and we all know they don’t have a pick in either the first or second rounds of the 2010 draft. So it’s worth noting that Asante has impressed Todd McShay and Co. with his across-the-board skills. He might not be an elite cover safety, but you don’t have to be in a Cover-2 scheme like the Bears’.

Detroit Lions
Player: Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount
Comment: I know I’ve advocated the Lions focus on improving both of their lines, but that doesn’t mean they should ignore a pretty significant need at running back. Kevin Smith’s torn anterior cruciate ligament makes him a question mark for next season. We all know Blount has some serious character issues, but the Lions’ coaching staff is getting an up-close look at him as one of their players this week on the North squad. If nothing else, the Lions should leave Mobile, Ala., with a good idea of whether his reputation is valid. If they are comfortable with him, he could be a draft value. If they’re not, the Lions are also getting long looks at offensive linemen like Idaho’s Mike Iupati. Here is McShay’s running evaluation of Blount, available to Insider subscribers.

Green Bay Packers
Player: UMass offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse
Comment: Ducasse comes from a smaller program, but he fits the profile of many lineman the Packers have drafted: Players who could potentially develop into a tackle or guard depending on need. The draft’s best offensive linemen aren’t at the Senior Bowl, but Ducasse is scouts have paid attention to during practices. Here is McShay’s evaluation.

Minnesota Vikings
Player: Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike
Comment: The Vikings need to identify a long-term answer at quarterback, whether or not Brett Favre returns in 2010. The top arms don’t attend the Senior Bowl, but Pike is a mid-round draft pick with the size (6-foot-6) and arm strength to develop into an NFL starter. Here is what McShay thinks of him. Pike’s biggest obstacle is transitioning from a spread offense to more of a pro style.

Chicago’s efforts to fill two coordinator positions is now the biggest story in the NFC North. Here’s where the situation stands now, based on local and national reporting:

The Bears have sought permission to interview Minnesota quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers. The Chicago Sun-Times reports the Vikings have given permission. If the interview occurs, Rogers would be the Bears’ third interview and the sixth publicly-identified candidate for the job.

UPDATE: Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune reports Rogers will interview Thursday.

Sean Jensen of the Sun-Times suggests the Bears pursue Jim Zorn. Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago offers this suggestion: Norm Chow.

Meanwhile, there have been no reports that the Bears have interviewed anyone other than Perry Fewell for their defensive coordinator job. Fewell accepted a similar offer from the New York Giants. Bears assistant head coach/defensive line Rod Marinelli told the Chicago Tribune that he is open to any job coach Lovie Smith needs him to do, including defensive coordinator.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Minnesota might have to open the 2010 season without starting cornerback Cedric Griffin, who will soon undergo surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune has more.
• Vikings coach Brad Childress took ultimate blame for having 12 men on the field at the end of regulation in the NFC Championship Game. John Shipley of the St. Paul Pioneer Press covers the issue.
• Detroit offensive coordinator Scott Linehan likes what he sees from Idaho guard Mike Iupati during Senior Bowl practices, according to Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press.
• Indeed, writes Philip Zaroo of Mlive.com, it’s time for the Lions to stop their rotation at left guard.
• It would be a “long shot” for Green Bay to hire anyone to replace departed personnel adviser John Schneider, according to Greg A. Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Packers president/CEO Mark Murphy will play a key role in collective bargaining agreement discussions during Super Bowl week, writes Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel.