Everyone loves to trash talk in the NFL offseason, but with the 2024 preseason now in the books, real live football with professional starters will be played very soon.
That means we'll all quickly find out which of each NFL division's four fanbases was the most right on social media when debating the case about why their squad's roster is the best. The 2024 NFC North possesses a Lions division winner who hasn't won like this since the early 1990s, the regenerated and youthful Green Bay Packers, the rebuilding Minnesota Vikings and the rebuilding Chicago Bears.
With Green Bay and Detroit both winning at least one playoff game last season plus the Bears improving significantly in the offseason, the 2024 NFC North race should be tight as it can be. Since these division could be one of the league's most competitive, here is our ranking of each squad's position and their rank amongst their NFC North tiers. Enjoy the evaluation.
Quarterback
- Packers (Jordan Love)
- Lions (Jared Goff)
- Bears (Caleb Williams)
- Vikings (Sam Darnold)
Jordan Love exploded in his first year as an NFL starting quarterback, throwing for 32 touchdowns and more than 4,000 passing yards (4,159). Pretty great company for the 25-year-old. Then, he went on the road and vanquished the NFC's second-seeded Dallas Cowboys in which he set the Packers' postseason single-game passer rating record (157.2) and passing yards-per-attempt record (13) after throwing for 272 yards and three touchdowns while completing 16 of his 21 pass attempts.
Jared Goff, a three-time Pro Bowler, helped Detroit win its first division title since the 1993 season and win its first playoff game since the 1991 season. He has been a key cog in successful rebuilds with both the Los Angeles Rams and Lions.
Caleb Williams was the only collegiate quarterback in the 21st Century to throw for 30 or more touchdowns, run for 10 or more touchdowns and toss five or fewer interceptions. His 120 total touchdowns led all of college football during his college career from 2021-2023. It's not ideal to rate rookies who haven't played a regular-season game over veterans, but in this case, it was an easy choice.
Sam Darnold has the highest turnover rate in the NFL (3.4%) since entering the league in 2018 (minimum 2,000 dropbacks). It's not a great sign, either, that Minnesota had an NFL-worst 18 turnovers since former quarterback Kirk Cousins was hurt last season from Weeks 9-18. This is the 2018 draft's third overall pick's last shot to prove he can be more than a career backup.
Running back
- Lions (Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery)
- Packers (Josh Jacobs and MarShawn Lloyd)
- Bears (D'Andre Swift and Khalil Herbert)
- Vikings (Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler)
There were only seven players in the NFL last season with over 900 rushing yards and 10 or more rushing touchdowns, and Detroit was the only team to have two such players in 2023 first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs and 2023 free agent signee David Montgomery. Pretty potent backfield.
Green Bay has the only NFL rushing champ of the bunch in 26-year-old free agent signee Josh Jacobs, the 2022 champ, this offseason. MarShawn Lloyd, the team's 2024 third-round pick (88th overall), will now be expected to be the No. 2 option behind Jacobs with AJ Dillion being placed on injured reserve with a neck injury on Tuesday. Lloyd's 7.1 yards per carry at USC last season ranked as the fifth most in college football among Power 5 running backs. Green Bay is counting on him to be a capable No. 2 option behind Jacobs right away as a rookie.
D'Andre Swift had his best season as a pro in 2023 with the Philadelphia Eagles, ranking fifth in the league in rushing yards (1,049) last season. Khalil Herbert is averaging 5.1 yards per carry since 2022, tied for the second most in the NFL among running backs in that span. His volume isn't that great, but he makes the most of his opportunity.
Aaron Jones, who turns 30 on Dec. 2, still has some juice left in the tank. He just has to make sure he can stay healthy after missing six regular-season games a year ago. Chandler is a decent backup, but he doesn't strike any fear into opposing defenses.
Wide receiver
- Packers (Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks)
- Bears (DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze)
- Vikings (Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor)
- Lions (Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond)
Green Bay was the only team in the NFL in 2023 to have four players -- wide receivers Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks -- with over 400 receiving yards and four or more receiving touchdowns -- who were all under the age of 25. That's unparalleled depth and a true embarrassment of riches after trading away first-team All-Pro Davante Adams.
Both Moore and Allen totaled over 1,200 yards last season while 2024 ninth overall pick Rome Odunze is acclimating to the rhythm of the NFL play. A nice trio.
Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are a phenomenal 1-2 punch, but there is a big drop off after those two.
There's Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is one of only five players with at least 100 catches in each of the last two seasons, and then the rest of his fellow Detroit receivers are in development mode.
Tight end
- Lions (Sam LaPorta)
- Vikings (T.J. Hockenson)
- Bears (Cole Kmet)
- Packers (Luke Musgrave/Tucker Kraft)
Sam LaPorta tied 2023 first-team All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and Denver Broncos top receiver Courtland Sutton for the most red zone receiving touchdowns in football with eight as a rookie. He also broke the NFL rookie tight end catches record with 86. LaPorta will be a baller for years to come.
Hockenson may be the most refined route-runner of any tight end in the division, but his season-ending knee injury that will lead to him missing the start of the 2024 season causes him to slip a little on this list.
Tight end Cole Kmet has caught at least five touchdowns in each of the last two seasons. He is a threat with the ball in his hands.
The Green Bay duo of Musgrave and Kraft, both members of Brian Gutekunst's 2023 class, are aging incredibly well. Give them a few years to continue cooking.
Offensive line
- Lions (Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, Frank Ragnow, Kevin Zeitler, Penei Sewell)
- Packers (Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jordan Morgan, Zach Tom)
- Vikings (Christian Darrisaw, Blake Brandel, Garrett Bradbury, Ed Ingram, Brian O'Neill)
- Bears (Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton. Nate Davis, Darnell Wright)
The experience and balance of Detroit are unparalleled. The Lions may have a case as the NFL's top offensive line. Sewell's 3% quarterback pressure rate allowed in 2023 was the lowest allowed among offensive tackles. They are probably better in the run game than the pass, ranking 18th in quarterback pressure rate allowed in 2023 (35.7%).
Green Bay has a young but mighty group. Last season, the Packers allowed the third-lowest quarterback pressure rate of the 2023 regular season (30.3%) despite all their youth. Another year to gel together will be so much fun.
Christian Darrisaw's Pro Football Focus offensive grade of 85.1 ranks as the fourth best in the entire league among offensive tackles with at least 100 snaps played last season, and Darrisaw's 85.3 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked as the third best in the NFL in 2023. Decent group around the former first-round pick.
Will Teven Jenkins shine brightly at offensive guard? His future depends on it as he is in a contract year. Chicago allowed the highest quarterback pressure rate in football last season at 44.8%. Nowhere to go but up.
Defensive line
- Packers (Kenny Clark, T.J. Slaton)
- Lions (DJ Reader, Alim McNeil)
- Vikings (Harrison Phillips, Jerry Tillery)
- Bears (Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter Sr.)
Kenny Clark is the best interior defensive lineman in the NFC North and one of the best in the entire league. Clark is coming off his third career Pro Bowl berth after notching career highs with 7.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hits in 2023. He has missed just one game over the past three seasons, recording at least four sacks from the nose tackle position in each of them.
Reader is a force in the middle: His 11.5% quarterback pressure last season was the third highest among players who weigh at least 320 pounds.
Both Harrison Phillips and Jerry Tillery are steady vets. Nothing spectacular, but they are steady.
Chicago hopes 2023 second-round pick Gervon Dexter can evolve into a force up the middle one day. Andrew Billings brings six years of NFL experience.
Edge rusher
- Packers (Rashan Gary, Preston Smith)
- Lions (Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport)
- Vikings (Jonathan Bullard, Jonathan Greenard)
- Bears (Montez Sweat, DeMarcus Walker)
Rashan Gary is an ascending young pass rusher whose 16.4% quarterback pressure in 2023 ranked as the 16th best in football, among those with at least 250 pass rush snaps. That figure is just ahead of All-Pro New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (16.1%) and just behind All-Pro Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones (16.5%). Veteran Preston Smith is a strong No. 2 with 45 quarterback pressures and an 11.3% quarterback pressure rate a season ago. Smith has totaled at least eight sacks in four of the last five seasons.
Aidan Hutchinson is the best edge rusher in the NFC North. His 101 quarterback pressures were the second most in the NFL last season behind only Cowboys All-Pro Micah Parsons' 103, and his 11.5 sacks were tied for the 12th most in football in 2023. However, there is a huge gap between Hutchinson and the Lions' No. 2 edge rusher option -- whether that's Marcus Davenport or Josh Paschal.
Bringing in Jonathan Greenard in free agency was a big victory after losing Danielle Hunter to the Houston Texans. Greenard led Houston with 12.5 sacks last season, and his 22% pass rush win rate was the sixth best among edge rushers last season, per ESPN Analytics.
Montez Sweat's arrival was much needed. The six sacks he totaled after coming to Chicago from Washington in a midseason trade led the Bears for the entire season. The Bears are still searching for edge rusher help as they attempted to trade for Matt Judon and did trade for Darrell Taylor.
Linebacker
- Bears (Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards)
- Packers (Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper)
- Lions (Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone)
- Vikings (Ivan Pace, Blake Cashman)
The Bears have the top inside linebacker duo after shelling out big money for both Edmunds (four years, $72 million) and Edwards (three years, $19.5 million) in the 2023 offseason.
Quay Walker, a 2022 first-round pick, is beginning to come into his own, and the Packers were able to draft the top inside linebacker prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft in Texas A&M All-American Edgerrin Cooper.
Jack Campbell, a 2023 first-round pick, flashed some in 2023, and Alex Anzalone is a consistent veteran option.
Ivan Pace, an undrafted free agent last season, earned a starting gig in Brian Flores' defense, and he could end up being an excellent diamond in the rough. Blake Cashman was a nice bargain addition in free agency.
Cornerback
- Bears (Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson)
- Packers (Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes)
- Vikings (Byron Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore)
- Lions (Carlton Davis, Terrion Arnold)
Jaylon Johnson had the best season of any NFC North cornerback, being graded as Pro Football Focus' top cornerback in the entire league last season (90.8 grade). Tyrique Stevenson showed some solid promise in the back half of the season.
Jaire Alexander returned to form after being suspended for the captain/coin toss debacle at the Carolina Panthers in Week 16 last season. He played well in the postseason with an interception of Dak Prescott that resulted in an early offensive touchdown for Green Bay in its 48-32 NFC wild card round playoff victory at the second-seeded Dallas Cowboys. The No. 2 spot here should be 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes, but he has struggled to stay healthy after a strong rookie year.
Byron Murphy Jr. has played like an above-average starter for the Arizona Cardinals, but after him the depth isn't great. Minnesota caved to soon-to-be 34-year-old Gilmore's free agency demands and signed him to a one-year, $7 million deal. He has had a great career, but his last time on the football field involved him getting cooked by Packers rookie wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks in the playoffs.
Carlton Davis was a part of a Super Bowl-winning secondary for the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Lions trading for him this offseason was very much needed. They also spent their first two draft picks on Alabama All-American Terrion Arnold and Missouri's Ennis Rakestraw Jr. This will be an inexperienced group overall.
Safety
- Lions (Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch)
- Packers (Xavier McKinney, Javon Bullard)
- Bears (Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker)
- Vikings (Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum)
Kerby Joseph has been a consistent playmaker in big moments with key pass breakups and/or interceptions, and 2023 second-round pick Brian Branch had a strong first season in Detroit.
Xavier McKinney has a case to own the title of "best safety in the NFL." Pro Football Focus graded him as the NFL's No. 1 safety in coverage (91.2 coverage grade) since he racked up three interceptions while not allowing any passing touchdowns in 2023. McKinney's 41.4 passer rating as the primary defender in coverage ranked as the seventh best in the entire league, regardless of position, among the 146 players with at least 50 passes thrown their way last season.
The Packers forced a tight window throw on only 12.4% of their opponents pass attempts in 2023, the third-lowest rate in the NFL, according to the league's Next Gen Stats. McKinney led all players who lined up at safety and had at least 20 passes thrown their way in forcing tight window throws with an NFL-best 30.8% tight window throw percentage.
It's likely a rookie will be starting next to him, either second-round pick Javon Bullard or fourth-round pick Evan Williams.
Chicago is getting an older, 31-year-old version of All-Pro safety Kevin Byard to go along with Jaquan Brisker, a player the Bears are waiting to see if he will take another leap.
Harrison Smith, a six-time Pro Bowler, is a Vikings legend, but he is now 35 years old. Bynum, a 2021 fourth-round pick, will be asked to do much more this season.
Special Teams
- Bears (Cairo Santos, Tory Taylor)
- Vikings (Will Reichard, Ryan Wright)
- Packers (Greg Joseph, Daniel Whelan)
- Lions (Jake Bates, Jack Fox)
Bears kicker Cairo Santos went 35 for 38 on field goals last season, tied for the second-most made field goals in the NFL. Chicago then drafted Iowa All-American punter Tory Taylor in the fourth round of the 2024 draft. It may be a reach, but Taylor was the best in college football at what he does.
Minnesota may have found a gem in Alabama rookie kicker Will Reichard. He went 4 for 4 on field goals in its preseason finale, including a 57-yarder on his final field goal with 2:15 left in the game
The only reason the Packers aren't last after cutting 2023 sixth-round pick Anders Carlson is because they have the best kick returner in the NFL in Keisean Nixon, who has earned first-team All-Pro honors the last two seasons after leading the NFL in kick return yards in both 2022 and 2023.
Lions kicker Jake Bates, who came over from the UFL, has had an up-and-down training camp and preseason. Jake Fox is an average NFL punter.
Coaches
- Packers (Matt LaFleur)
- Lions (Dan Campbell)
- Vikings (Kevin O'Connell)
- Bears (Matt Eberflus)
LaFleur's Packers are the only team in NFL history to win at least 13 games in three consecutive seasons, which they did in his first three years in charge in Green Bay. He has since more than proved his worth post-Aaron Rodgers with quarterback Jordan Love's development.
Dan Campbell's intensity and strong coordinator hires have built a winning culture in Detroit as the Lions reached an NFC Championship game for the first time in decades last season. That's an impressive feat after years and years of losing that this franchise has suffered through.
Minnesota won the most one-possession games ever in O'Connell's first year in charge in 2022. Eleven of the Vikings' 13 wins in KOC's 13-4 debut seasons were by one score, an NFL record. His squad ended up falling flat on its face in the playoffs, losing a home playoff game to Daniel Jones' Giants. Last season was marred by Kirk Cousins' injury and now he won't have 2024 10th overall pick quarterback J.J. McCarthy in 2024 after a season-ending knee injury. He is a great offensive play-caller and designer, but he'll need more time to see what he can truly accomplish as a head coach.
Matt Eberflus' 10-24 record since becoming the Bears head coach in 2022 is the third-worst record in the NFL the last two years. The Justin Fields era flopped, but he gets one more chance to put together a winner with 2024 first overall pick quarterback Caleb Williams.
