Ask Mel Kiper, and he'll tell you that in the NFC Central, the Packers had the best draft. The Vikings had the worst, with the Bucs not too much better. But ask the fans, and an entirely different picture develops. Bears fans are up in arms about their team's draft, it seems. And Bucs fans aren't thrilled, but don't paint quite as negative picture. Here are selected responses for the five teams in the NFC Central:

BEARS

Cut Hatley!
Anthony Thomas may well be a solid back who will have a career in the NFL, but he doesn't appear to be a complete back with the necessary tools for success. Thanks to San Diego taking Tomlinson way back in the first round, RB Lamont Jordan slipped past the Chargers in Round 2, and was just sitting there when the Bears got on the clock. Jordan has some question marks, but he also has some exclamation points – the size, speed, strength and wiggle that could make him a first-year starter with All-Pro potential. Taking Thomas was the kind of arrogant mediocrity for which the Bears are famous. And here's the other thing: the Bears don't have ENOUGH running backs. They certainly don't have any blocking fullbacks to speak of. So why select marginal players in the late rounds when Ja'Mar Toombs is available? Why not pick up a guy like Dan Alexander? At the minimum these guys would have contributed on special teams. I'm sick of this team's lack of creativity, vision and cojones. I'm sick of getting Curtis Enis instead of Fred Taylor. Sick of getting Cade McNown when everyone on the planet knew that Daunte Culpepper was the better prospect. When the scribes and "draft experts" can spot these things and the Bears front office can't, that's a bad sign. We would do better to hire some sportswriter and let him pick. Cut Hatley.
Daniel Conover
Charleston, SC

What were they thinking?

	Was Terrell the Bears' greatest need?

I thought one of our deeper areas on the team, when healthy, was our group of receivers. We need someone to rush the passer and we did not address this need effectively. Our No. 1 pick has suspect hands. We wasted a No. 2 pick on an overrated back that runs too high behind a great offense (also see: Brad Muster, Rashaan Salaam, Curtis Enis). Our family has been season ticket holders for thirty years. We do not plan on driving to Urbana to see anyone in this draft.
Tom Crane
Chicago, Ill.

The bitter, cold Windy City
I wonder if Mark Hatley has noticed that the Bears don't have any DBs who could cover my grandmother or anything resembling a pass rush. One could make up for the other, but having neither is going to cripple the defense. Great safeties and great linebackers don't mean much when the QB can sit in the pocket for 15 or 20 seconds (not that he has to with our corners). Selecting a WR first was a waste – who's going to get the ball to him? Jim Miller is the only QB on the roster worth spit and he's coming back from a serious injury. Without a significant free agent signing, we may as well start looking at next year's draft prospects and hope that someone else is running our draft.
Adam Ackermann
Villa Park, Ill.

I'm so weary of this!
I'm sure they have some quality draftees as people, I mean I'm sure they are nice guys, but can these guys play? Oh wait, maybe they could plug them into the offense with McNown and Enis. No, that won't work, because Enis isn't there anymore and McNown is another bust waiting to be released. And McNown isn't even a decent guy! Why do they draft in the top ten every year? This is getting old.
Bill Vernon
Logansport, Ind.

Questioning Anthony Thomas
With the need for wide receiver I understand David Terrell, but addressing the running back position with Anthony Thomas is questionable. Why take "A-Train" when Lamont Jordan was there? Thomas had a pro-level line at Michigan to help gain yards, while Jordan did it mostly on his own. I don't get it.
Erik Jolliffe
Bozeman, Mont.

A dissenting voice
I think that the Bears had a good draft this year. I think that they have decided that since they have never had, and never will have a superstar QB, they should build up their receiving corps. Think about it, David Terell, Marcus Robinson, and Bobby Engram on the field at the same time! It doesn't matter who the QB is because you have to be pretty bad not to get a lot of receptions and yardage out of those three. Anthony Thomas is just what the Bears need, he's a low risk pick, because he is tough, and has a lot of college experience from all the years at Michigan. Having James Allen, "A-Train", and if he gets the job, Cade McKnown will help the running game immensely. The Bears did the right thing in drafting offensive players. The defense could still use some starpower, but now that they have Ted Washington to add some skill and experience to the Defensive Line, they don't have to worry about not getting Andre Carter. The Bears Defense might not have the best defense in the league, but in all of the games that they won last year, it was the defense, and namely Brian Urlacher, who came up big, like taking out Charlie Batch, and intercepting Shaun King.
Mike Rieger
Ontario, Canada

LIONS

Great draft
The Lions did everything you could ask for. They filled some major holes in the O-Line and got a potentially tough defensive lineman in Shaun Rogers. They also selected a tough-willed QB from Millen Country. Mike McMahon may be a real sleeper for the Lions.
Clay Pelham
Adrian, Mich.

Improving the line a great plan
The Lions like most teams in the NFL need to build on their offensive line. By adding Jeff Backus and Dominic Raiola, both very solid college players from two outstanding programs, they will improve their already solid front line. It sound as if DT Shaun Rogers could be an effective run stopper that can rotate with Ellis and Brown, something the Lions are in need of.
Joseph Boersema
Fort Wayne, Ind.

QB help needed
Why wouldn't we get a more stable quarterback like Drew Brees? We have never had a good quarterback in the time I have liked them. Andre Ware, Don Majkowski, Mike Tomzack, Steve Deberg, Rodney Peete, Jim McMahon, Charlie Batch. Have any of these quarterbacks put up good numbers in their prime? Maybe two out of all of them, but none of them were with the Lions then. So why doesn't this team ever get a good quality quarterback? We had the best running back ever to play the game, but no quarterback to work with him, so therefore, no Super Bowl ring. A good quality quarterback is the only way to the Super Bowl.
Ryan Clark
Duluth, Minn.

We needed Brees
Just another horrible draft. This team needed to draft a quarterback! They have two offensive linemen that should be impact players next season. They should have re-signed Jeff Hartings if they were so concerned about the line. Charlie Batch will again get hurt and the fans again will be screaming that they should have drafted Drew Brees. Can't wait for another disappointing Lions season to get started.
Chuck Ouelette
Fort Gratiot, Mich.

PACKERS

Reynolds is too small
I gave Green Bay a C. They needed a defensive tackle more than a underweight defensive end like Jamal Reynolds. They also needed a wide receiver who could jump right in, not an inexperienced one with potential. As far as the rest of their picks, I thought they needed more defensive linemen than anything. Im' kind of disappointed but I'm a huge Packer fan and am looking forward to these players proving themselves.
Bradley Hilsenhoff
Madison, Wisc.

Should've drafted Gardner
I was just wondering why the Packers would pass up on Rod Gardner who was such a complete receiver in the first round when he was available. I know that we needed a good rushing defensive end like something unbelievable, but when a complete player falls into your lap I would think that you would take them. The only reason I could think of is that they knew that Ferguson would be there in the second round so they took a chance, but isn't rule one that you should never assume anything in the draft? Overall, I believe that Wolf did a solid job, but I was a little disappointed that they did pass on Gardner.
Ryan Fladvid
Milwaukee, Wisc.

A great pick
I think that drafting Jamal Reynolds was the best move that they could have made. They really needed to get back into the pressure from the ends, and this is the guy that can do it.
Brandon Winter
Phoenix, Ariz.

What's Wolf up to?
It appears that Ron Wolf knows something that the rest of do not (which I certainly never doubt) with this year's draft. It seems to me that two players he traded up to get – Jamal Reynolds in the first round and Bhawoh Jue in the third – would have likely been available when the Packer's original picks landed. It essentially seems like he gave up Matt Hasselback for nothing. I would not be surprised, however, if Wolf once again proves us all wrong.
John Standard
Evansville, Ind.

VIKINGS

Dream: Smoot. Reality: Bennett
The first two picks, Michael Bennett and Willie Howard, fill immediate needs but I would have been more excited to see them pick Fred Smoot in the first round, Howard in the second, and then go after a running back in the third. Hopefully they will add a veteran cornerback after June 1, when the next wave of free agents are available.
Martin Hoff
St. Paul, Minn.

Defense needs more help
For the second straight year, I think the Vikings reached for their first-round pick. However, I said the same thing two years back, wondering how anybody could take Daunte Culpepper over Jevon Kearse. Culpepper proved a lot of people wrong last season, but I don't see Chris Hovan becoming a Warren Sapp (pass rushing) or Norman Hand (run stuffing) type of player. The same can be said this year. After suffering through the Kerry Collins-a-thon last season, and after watching Fred Smoot, and Ken Lucas drop all the way to the bottom of the first round, I believed that Denny Green was going to be able to pick a defensive back that could take away half the field. When Bennett was selected I wasn't terribly overjoyed to say the least. On the bright side, he could probably play a better corner than half of the Vikes present DBs. If Green really wants to see how bad his defense is, have them scrimmage the offense. The scoreboard wouldn't be able to keep up.
Brian Anderson
Caldwell, Id.

Defense still offensive
Well, Green did it again. ... drafting another stud on offense at the expense of his porous defense. Is there any coach in the NFL besides who repeatedly foresakes defense for offense? The Vikes have made the playoffs the last three years as a result of their potent offense, only to sputter in the playoffs against better defensive teams. They don't need a Ravens defense to make it to the Super Bowl but a few playmakers would go a long way (remember the Rams in '99?).
Mitch Corwin
Chicago, Ill.

Bennett a great choice
The Vikings deserve an "A" on their draft this year based upon their 1st selection, Michael Bennett. In my opinion, Bennett is the best running back in the draft, and will fill the void created by the departure of Robert Smith.
Chris Fellerman
Andover, Minn.

BUCS

Bucs created great balance

	Walker should help give Brad Johnson extra time to find his receivers.

A year removed from being three minutes away from the Super Bowl, Tampa Bay may have found the last piece of the championship by trading up and drafting OT Kenyatta Walker. Now, an awesome defense has an explosive offense to go with it. By drafting Walker, signing QB Brad Johnson, and resigning Ronde Barber and Jerry Wunsch, it would be very tough to find a team as well balanced as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be next season.
David Colvin
Spring Hill, Fla.

One gem, the rest awful
The Bucs get an A+ for what they did in round one. After that is probably an F. Most of their second day players they could have gotten as free agents.
Buc Kanear
Melbourne Beach, Fla.

Umm... receivers?
I think Kenyatta Walker was a great move, but they neglected the glaring need of wide receivers! Keyshawn Johnson can't do it all. Who is Brad going to throw the ball to?
John Marzi
Seminole, Fla.

Fine, just fine
The 2001 Draft for Tampa Bay was simply a filler draft. With the exception of left tackle, which was a big need, they had some back-up holes to fill and filled them fine. Walker will start at LT in 2001, Dwight Smith and John Howell will back-up Ronde Barber/ Donnie Abraham and John Lynch/Damien Robinson in the defensive backfield. With the age the Bucs have on the offensive line, Russ Hochstein will be a good young project for 2002, and Jameel Cook will spell Alstott at FB. All in all a good draft.
John Martin
Austin, TX