NFC North remaining team needs
Breaking down the top six areas to address for every squad in the draft
With NFL free agency slowing down, teams are in the middle of setting their draft boards for the 2012 NFL draft. No team filled all of its roster holes in free agency, so where are the areas of weakness for each roster heading into the draft?
Here are the top six needs for every NFL team leading into the draft, broken up by division. The AFC was released on Thursday. Here is the NFC file.
Minnesota Vikings
Top needs:
1. Cornerback: This defense gave up 34 touchdown passes a year ago with only eight interceptions. They just don't match up well even though they cover up their deficiencies with their Cover 2 zone schemes. Antoine Winfield is 35 years old and slowing down, Cedric Griffin is gone, Asher Allen, Marcus Sherels, Chris Carr and Zack Bowman add depth, but they are not elite players. However, Chris Cook is back after being cleared of serious legal problems, and he has some upside. They need a potential starter at CB from this draft.
2. Left tackle: This O-line gave up 49 sacks in 2011 and many of the problems were from QB Christian Ponder's blind side. Charlie Johnson got beat far too often. He isn't a terrible tackle but is better suited at guard, and his backup, DeMarcus Love, has some developmental qualities but is also probably better at guard. If they can find a starter and move Johnson inside, it will upgrade two positions.
To read more about the top six needs for every NFC North team, plus to get all of Insider's NFL Draft content, you must be an ESPN Insider.
-
ESPN The Magazine subscribers
-
Need more information?
SPONSORED HEADLINES
MORE NFL HEADLINES
- RG III: Goal Week 1 but career comes first
- Cards ink 3rd-round pick Mathieu to contract
- Rodgers wants Pack to retire Favre's No. 4
- Pats' Brady not surprised Welker left team
MOST SENT STORIES ON ESPN.COM
The NFL on ESPN.com

NFL DRAFT ON ESPN
- Round 1: 3 hours
- Day 2: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN & WatchESPN
- Day 3: 12 p.m. ET, ESPN & WatchESPN
NFL DRAFT PROFILES
- Merrill: How dad molded Andrew Luck
- The Mag: Burfict fighting perception
- Mag: Griffin III is no ordinary QB
- Chadiha: Kuechly looks like a sure thing
- Fox: DT Poe races up the board
- Chadiha: Jenkins trying to rebuild image
HOT BUTTON: KIPER-MCSHAY DEBATES
- Who's the second-best RB in the draft?
- Which player is getting too much hype?
- Which team has toughest call in top 10?
- Which probable 2nd-rounder belongs in 1st?
- Which Day 2 QB will have best career?
NFL DRAFT TEAM NEEDS
- Horton: NFC East needs | W | N | S

- Horton: AFC East needs | W | N | S

MORE NFL COVERAGE
- Fox: Skins create another QB controversy
- Clayton: Players control Pro Bowl's fate
- Clayton: Draft drama starts at No. 3
- Fox: The draft is just the beginning
- Brandt: A peek inside a draft war room
- Joyner: Five overrated draft prospects

- TMQ: Annual mock draft mockery
- Scouts Inc.: The secondary QB market

- NFL Blog Network: Mock draft 2.0
- Clayton mailbag: Jags, Fins in tough spots
- Fox: Vikings could shake up draft, more
- Williamson: Plenty of draft intrigue here

- Fox: Reaching in draft is a mistake
- Walker: Dolphins are no easy fix
- Polian: Ranking best-drafting teams

- Next Level: Risk of drafting a top-10 QB
- Mag: Stanford four could make history
MORE NFL DRAFT
- Mocks: Kiper 5.0
| McShay 6.0
- Ranks:
McShay top 32 | Kiper Big Board - Cheat Sheets:
QB | RB | WR | TE | OL - More Cheat Sheets:
DL | LB | DB - Kiper's 'Grade A' drafts:
AFC | NFC - McShay: Stacking the 2012 draft board

-
McShay: Seven tiers of draft talent

- Gallery: Top offensive prospects
- Gallery: Top 10 defenders
- Complete draft order | Draft home
- Bowen: 5 second-year breakout candidates
- Edwards: The NFL's all-time Top 20 coaches
- Tuley: Best early-season win-total bets
- Red Flags: NFC East | North | South | West
- Kiper: 2014 Big Board | Top TEs | OLBs | ILBs

