As the 2014 NFL Draft approaches and we are now more than halfway through the 2013 NFL season, we start to get a clear picture of areas of need for every NFL team. Every team has a few holes on their current roster or that will open up in the offseason and the draft is the time where teams look to fill those needs.
Green Bay Packers
Safety:
Green Bay has excellent depth at cornerback and the defense has shown a lot of improvement from the 2012 season, but they absolutely need to find a new safety to start opposite of Morgan Burnett. The duo of M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian have been just short of awful this season. Green Bay needs to invest an early pick on a safety in 2014 and I expect Ted Thompson will do just that. Burnett could move to strong safety if they want to draft a free safety or they could grab a player like Craig Loston out of LSU. The future is bright for the Packers defense with Burnett, Casey Hayward, Sam Shields and Davon House. Now they just need to find another safety and this team will be set for years to come.
Tight End:
This all depends on Jermichael Finley and what the team finds out from doctors in the coming weeks about Finley’s spine and his prognosis for the future. Finley was having a very good year with 25 receptions for 300 yards and three touchdowns in five games. After dealing with questions about his maturity and consistency before 2013, Finley was a 
new man in the offseason and drew praise from coaches and teammates for his work ethic and focus. Finley is an impending free agent and health is the big question that he will have to deal with in free agency, even if he is cleared many teams may not want to take a chance with his spine injury. If Green Bay chooses to let him go in free agency, they will very likely go after a tight end in the first or second round in the draft. Eric Ebron is a perfect fit for them and would become another top weapon for Aaron Rodgers to work with.
Defensive Tackle:
The offseason will be a very interesting time for Thompson, plenty of key players will enter free agency including B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett and Johnny Jolly. Pickett and Jolly are in their 30’s and Raji hasn’t turned into the Pro Bowl-caliber player they hoped for. He has shown improvement this season and should be a priority for Green Bay to extend, but Thompson has shown he has no problem letting expensive starters go and filling the void in the draft. Even if Raji comes back Green Bay will need to add more depth to the defensive line.
Detroit Lions
Wide Receiver:
The Lions have had a bounce back year, but Matthew Stafford needs more weapons and Calvin Johnson could use some help. Nate Burleson is coming back soon from a broken arm but just turned 32, while Ryan Broyles recently tore 
his Achilles and was coming off a torn ACL last year. Detroit may not have much success in the past drafting a wide receiver but the 2014 class is loaded with starting wide receivers. Detroit could take a top wide receiver in round one or wait until round two and still find a starter. The NFL continues to evolve into more and more of a passing league and it’s time for Detroit to bring in another top wide receiver.
Cornerback:
As mentioned above, the NFL has become a passing league and in a division with Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, you need to be prepared to stop the passing game. The Lions are 25th against the pass this year and need to bring in more help. Rashean Mathis will be 34 at the start of next season and while the team drafted Darius Slay last year, cornerback needs to be a priority in the draft. The 2014 cornerback class is strong but lacks a real elite corner, but there is plenty of depth at the position. Detroit could take Bradley Roby in the first round, a player who has struggled to meet expectations this year but is still very talented. Stopping the opponent’s passing attack and helping their own will be two of the Lions biggest priorities for the draft.
Offensive Tackle:
Detroit actually has done an excellent job this year keeping Stafford upright, the team leads the league having given up just 11 sacks. Jason Fox has been alright this season but Detroit would still love to upgrade at right tackle. Detroit can wait to address the need at right tackle until the third or fourth round and could find a steal in Ja’Wuan James or take a chance late in the draft on someone like Seantrel Henderson. Adding more protection to the right side would open up even more plays for Reggie Bush and give Stafford extra time to throw to Johnson downfield.
Chicago Bears
Defensive Tackle:
Entering the season the Bears looked great on the defensive line with plenty of depth to work with and a star in Henry Melton. But Melton went down with a torn ACL in a contract year and the group was hit by more and more season-
ending injuries. Chicago will look to bring back Melton on a cheaper deal but assuming his knee checks out he will be a coveted player in free agency. Even if Chicago can bring him back they need to address the interior of this defensive line. They will likely end up with a pick in the lower 20’s which isn’t an ideal spot to find a defensive tackle, meaning they may have to wait until later in the draft to fill their biggest need.
Cornerback:
The Bears have two of the best corners in the league in Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings but time is catching up to the veterans. Jennings will turn 30 in December and still has some good years left but Tillman will turn 33 at the end of the season. Chicago needs to find a young corner to bring in and learn from the veteran corners, just like they did this past year at linebacker with Jon Bostic learning from Lance Briggs. Chicago could use their first round selection on a corner like Jason Verrett or Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, and the rookie will have a chance to learn from one of the best in the game. Chicago needs another cornerback to come in and help against some tough competition in the NFC North and someone who can replace Tillman in a few years.
Quarterback:
This is going to be a very difficult situation for the Bears entering the offseason. Jay Cutler is a free agent and very likely will be looking for 100M+ in a deal and the Bears haven’t committed to giving him a new contract. While Cutler has looked very good in Marc Trestman’s offense he again has missed time because of an injury, and Chicago could look to save money. If the Bears let Cutler go quarterback will become a big need for this team and will likely be their first pick. While Cutler has a good relationship with his head coach, Trestman may want to bring in his own quarterback to develop.
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback:
Christian Ponder, Josh Freeman, Matt Cassel all have had their chance to earn the starting quarterback job for the Vikings. It has been an embarrassing season for the Vikings offense, and one that has brought down Adrian Peterson’s chance at 2,500 rushing yards. Quarterback is the top priority for the Vikings in the 2014 draft, they have to get their starting quarterback with their first pick. If it means trading up a few spots to secure a player like Marcus Mariota, Minnesota has to do whatever it takes to fill the void at the most important position in football. If the Vikings can bring in a quarterback like Mariota it will open up more things for Peterson and push the Vikings back in the right direction for the future.
Defensive End:
The Vikings made sure they locked up Brian Robison earlier in the year, but he will be 30 and the team is also going to lose Jared Allen to free agency. Allen may not be the All Pro-caliber player of old but he has still been extremely productive for Minnesota and his loss will be significant. If the Vikings were to pass on a quarterback in the first round, they could have the chance to take Jadeveon Clowney who would immediately step in and fix their pass-rush problems. But if they decide to wait there are still plenty of excellent options in round two including Vic Beasley and Stephon Tuitt. Finding a new defensive end will be one of the Vikings top priorities in the offseason as they look to build their defense.
Defensive Tackle:
Remember the days when the Williams brothers used to anchor the Vikings defensive line and create havoc in the backfield, well those days are long gone. Sharrif Floyd will be a stud in the future but is still adjusting to the supreme talent of the NFL and has a lot more room to grow. Kevin Williams is still around but will be 34 next season and isn’t half the player he used to be. Minnesota will have to really dig through this year’s defensive tackle prospect class to find the right guy to plug in and take the place of Williams.