Packers, Lions stock up 
Green Bay goes defensive, Detroit goes for best, and Chicago takes a pass
From news services
Updated: 04/26/2009 12:34:40 AM CDT

While Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo could have napped, jogged and read the better part of a good novel Saturday, his NFC North rivals were busy adding building blocks to their roster.

Here is a look at what happened in the North.

Lions: New general manager Martin Mayhew added the best quarterback in the draft, the best tight end in the draft and the best safety in the draft. Not bad.

Except he could have taken players at other positions who might have become better pros.

Instead of taking quarterback Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick, the Lions could have taken offensive tackle Jason Smith a much safer selection. Instead of taking tight end Brandon Pettigrew with the 20th choice, the Lions could have taken offensive tackle Michael Oher after taking a quarterback first, they needed to find him a bodyguard.

And instead of taking safety Louis Delmas with the first pick of the second round, they could have taken middle linebacker Rey Maualuga. Delmas should be a great pro if he can stay healthy (a lot of teams doubt he can), but Maualuga was the best middle linebacker in the draft. He could have given the Lions a defensive centerpiece and an identity.

Packers: GM Ted Thompson was running the draft, but with the way it played out Dom Capers could have been. The Packers' new defensive coordinator must have had some clout in the draft room because Thompson gave Capers a nose tackle in B.J. Raji and a pass-rushing outside linebacker in Clay Matthews.
"He has the ability to take people backwards, where they don't want to go," Thompson said of Raji. "He also has the quickness to go around them. He's a very powerful player. It's unbelievably hard to find the combination of the skill set he brings. The good Lord just didn't make many people like this."

There were concerns about Raji's character coming into the draft. He was ruled academically ineligible to play the entire 2007 season and faced questions about his work ethic from scouts. However, reports that Raji failed a drug test at the NFL scouting combine were false.

"I couldn't help but be frustrated," Raji said. "How that all came about, I still don't understand."

Both picks were needs, but both also were value picks. The draft laid out very well indeed for the Packers, who unquestionably became a better team Saturday.

Bears: Chicago traded away its second-round pick, leaving it without a selection on Saturday.

The Bears already had sent their first-round pick to Denver in a trade earlier this month for quarterback Jay Cutler.

The Bears swapped their second-round choice, which was No. 49 overall, to Seattle for the Seahawks' picks in the third and fourth rounds.

"Obviously it was an uneventful day today," Angelo said.

It was the first time since 1978 the Bears did not make a pick in the first two rounds. Angelo said the Bears made an attempt to trade for disgruntled Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin.

"Nothing was able to get resolved," Angelo said.

Angelo wouldn't reveal details of the talks but said he assumes the deal is dead because "I felt like if it was going to happen, it would have happened today."

The Bears had interest in Oregon defensive back Jarius Byrd, wide receiver Brian Robiskie of Ohio State and a defensive end, according to Angelo, but all went earlier in Round 2.

Angelo said the Bears made attempts to move up in Round 2 and select those and other players, but failed.

"There was absolutely no way we were able to move up," he said. "That's the hardest place to get to in the draft is that top half of the second (round) because those are the best buys. Those are the players where you really get a great deal."

The Bears' first-round pick and third-round pick this year, quarterback Kyle Orton and a first-round pick in 2010 all went to Denver for Cutler.

They were the talk of the NFL after the deal but had to be content to watch others from the sideline Saturday.

"Our work is cut out for us," he said. "Everybody in our division got better today. And we might not have gotten better today, but we got better a few weeks ago and (today) hopefully we're going to get a lot better."

The Bears have nine picks in Rounds 3 through 7 today. They have two choices in each of the third, fourth, fifth and seventh rounds.