SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The NFL Draft gets underway Thursday with the first round being held in Kansas City.
The draft begins at 7 p.m. and can be seen on NFL Network and ESPN.
When the season came to a close in February, the draft speculations and mock drafts began. Hundreds of different outcomes became possible as every NFL expert attempted to predict Thursday’s first round.
Here’s a look at the latest mock draft predictions for the local teams:
Detroit Lions – Pick #6
| Analyst | Pick Prediction |
| ESPN’s Mel Kiper | Devon Witherspoon, Illinois – CB |
| ESPN’s Todd McShay | Will Anderson Jr., Alabama – OLB |
| CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco | Devon Witherspoon, Illinois – CB |
| NFL Network’s Peter Schrager | Devon Witherspoon, Illinois – CB |
| KELOLAND’s Grant Sweeter | Devon Witherspoon, Illinois – CB |
| KELOLAND’s Ian Sacks | Christian Gonzalez, Oregon – CB |
It’s nearly unanimous that the Lions will grab Illinois cornerback, Devon Witherspoon. Whether it’s Witherspoon or not, Detroit is predicted to take a defensive player.
Chicago Bears – Pick #9
| Analyst | Pick Prediction |
| ESPN’s Mel Kiper | Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State – OT |
| ESPN’s Todd McShay | Jalen Carter, Georgia – DT |
| CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco | Peter Skoronski, Northwestern – OT |
| NFL Network’s Peter Schrager | Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State – OT |
| KELOLAND’s Grant Sweeter | Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State – OT |
| KELOLAND’s Ian Sacks | Jalen Carter, Georgia – DT |
It was a tough year for the Chicago Bears, but the lone bright spot was quarterback, Justin Fields. It’s a no brainer that the Bears will look to add some protection up front, for the future of their franchise.
Green Bay Packers – Pick #13
| Analyst | Pick Prediction |
| ESPN’s Mel Kiper | Darnell Wright, Tennessee – OT |
| ESPN’s Todd McShay | Dalton Kincaid, Utah – TE |
| CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco | Nolan Smith, Georgia – Edge |
| NFL Network’s Peter Schrager | Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State – WR |
| KELOLAND’s Grant Sweeter | Nolan Smith, Georgia – Edge |
| KELOLAND’s Ian Sacks | Broderick Jones, Georgia – OT |
The Packers have a lot of questions when it comes to their 2023 season. With Aaron Rodgers gone, Green Bay has some draft capital to make some picks.
Detroit Lions – Pick #18
| Analyst | Pick Prediction |
| ESPN’s Mel Kiper | Michael Mayer, Notre Dame – TE |
| ESPN’s Todd McShay | Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh – DT |
| CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco | Zay Flowers, Boston College – WR |
| NFL Network’s Peter Schrager | Myles Murphy, Clemson – Edge |
| KELOLAND’s Grant Sweeter | Myles Murphy, Clemson – Edge |
| KELOLAND’s Ian Sacks | Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh – DT |
The majority of the players projected to go at pick 18 are defensive line players. They already have Aidan Hutchinson, so adding to that talent on the line can really improve the defense.
Minnesota Vikings – Pick #23
| Analyst | Pick Prediction |
| ESPN’s Mel Kiper | Joey Porter Jr., Penn State – CB |
| ESPN’s Todd McShay | Jordan Addison, USC – WR |
| CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco | Hendon Hooker, Tennessee – QB |
| NFL Network’s Peter Schrager | Bijan Robinson, Texas – RB |
| KELOLAND’s Grant Sweeter | Trade back in 1st Round or 2nd Round |
| KELOLAND’s Ian Sacks | Joey Porter Jr., Penn State – CB |
The Vikings are in an interesting spot with their pick at #23. Joey Porter is an option, but many feel he could be available later than 23.
Minnesota could go quarterback, but that’s assuming Hooker or someone else will be available.
A trade is also possible for the Vikings since they don’t own a second-round pick.
Kansas City Chiefs – Pick #31
| Analyst | Pick Prediction |
| ESPN’s Mel Kiper | Trade with Rams – LA select Hendon Hooker, Tenn. – QB |
| ESPN’s Todd McShay | Will McDonald, Iowa State – OLB |
| CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco | Jordan Addison, USC – WR |
| NFL Network’s Peter Schrager | Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee – WR |
| KELOLAND’s Grant Sweeter | Jordan Addison, USC – WR |
| KELOLAND’s Ian Sacks | Brian Branch, Alabama – S |
It’s all over the board on how the Kansas City Chiefs will handle the 31st pick of the draft.
If Addison is still around at 31, the Chiefs could get a steal with a talented wide receiver. However, as Mel Kiper suggests, the possibility for a trade is certainly there as well.
