To no one’s surprise, it wasn’t easy ranking the rosters in the NFC North.
There’s plenty of star power across the four teams, even on the five-win Chicago Bears, who made sure not to neglect their offensive line this offseason. But Caleb Williams gaining better protectors and more talented skill players might still not be enough to overtake the rosters of the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, the back-to-back NFC North champions.
On the other hand, though, the Vikings are trotting a new quarterback in J.J. McCarthy, while the Packers and Lions have concerns on the defensive side, with several star Detroit players recovering from significant injuries.
Here’s how we view the NFC North rosters after the draft and free agency.
1. Detroit Lions
The Lions have a few roster holes, but the abundance of All-Pros and Pro Bowlers makes these concerns minor.
For example, the lack of depth and consistency behind Amon-Ra St. Brown at wide receiver is rarely a problem for this explosive offense because of playmaking tight end Sam LaPorta and the running back tandem of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. And there aren’t many answers for slowing this offense when speedy wideout Jameson Williams is producing, though he tends to go quiet in stretches. Perhaps Williams has turned a corner when it comes to consistency and availability after playing 15 games and delivering his first 1,000-yard season in 2024.
There are a few unknowns at guard for one of the better offensive lines in the league the past few seasons with the departure of Kevin Zeitler and Graham Glasgow possibly having to compete for his job. Second-year player Christian Mahogany and second-round rookie Tate Ratledge are in the mix for starting at guard. Center Frank Ragnow and tackles Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker continue to play at a high level.
How the defense does may depend on how quickly Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill return to full strength from their respective injuries. There are depth issues at edge rusher, but the team did add first-round rookie Tyleik Williams, possibly the best run stopper in the draft. There’s plenty of depth at linebacker with Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, Derrick Barnes and Malcolm Rodriguez. The secondary essentially swapped Carlton Davis III for D.J. Reed, who could have a heavy workload if 2024 first-round cornerback Terrion Arnold doesn’t rebound from a rocky rookie season. But versatile safety Brian Branch is more than capable of picking up the slack.
2. Minnesota Vikings
It was pretty tempting to rank the Vikings over the Lions, but the star power on paper didn’t outweigh all of the uncertainty surrounding the many new pieces acquired in the offseason.
The offensive line should be better with veteran newcomers Will Fries and Ryan Kelly, but both battled injuries during their final season with the Indianapolis Colts. Also, stud left tackle Christian Darrisaw is working his way back from a knee injury, and it’s not a given that first-round rookie Donovan Jackson will have a seamless transition to the NFL. But concerns aside, the Vikings needed to make these potential upgrades to aid first-year starting quarterback McCarthy and learn from what happened to Sam Darnold in the final two games last season.
Obviously, plenty hinges on how McCarthy performs, but he has one of the best supporting casts in the NFL and will be able to enjoy the luxury of throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. There are playmakers in the backfield, too, with former 49ers running back Jordan Mason teaming with Aaron Jones.
The edge rushers are just as impressive as the pass catchers. Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel dominated in their first seasons in Minnesota, and this group could be even better if 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner makes improvements this season. Linebacker Blake Cashman also had an impressive Year 1 in Minnesota—another reminder that this coaching staff excels at getting players on the same page quickly. There are some depth concerns in the secondary after the departure of safety Camryn Bynum, who joined the Colts. But the team re-signed versatile cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and hard-hitting safety Harrison Smith is back for a 14th season.
3. Green Bay Packers
The Packers could have one of the best offenses in 2025 if Jordan Love plays better against the best teams in the league. Love regressed a bit last year compared to his ‘23 breakout season, but that could be attributed to a disappointing receiving corps.
Green Bay essentially told wide receivers Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks that last year wasn’t good enough by drafting Matthew Golden and Savion Williams with two of its first three picks last month. The speedy Golden should help fill the void of Watson, who’s recovering from a knee injury. And the versatile Williams, who’s drawing comparisons to Deebo Samuel, might eat into Reed’s snaps. The Packers also have multiple options at tight end with Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave. Running back Josh Jacobs will likely be a focal point of the offense again after recording 1,329 rushing yards during his first season in Green Bay. The offensive line could be better if rookie Anthony Belton and 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan find a way to make an impact. But gaining a starting job won't be easy after Green Bay signed Aaron Banks.
The biggest concerns are on the defensive side. Edge rusher Rashan Gary desperately needs help from former first-round picks Lukas Van Ness, Devonte Wyatt and Quay Walker. Even defensive tackle Kenny Clark had a down year for his lofty standards. But the team is expecting a dominant year from linebacker Edgerrin Cooper after an impressive rookie season. The secondary gained versatility with the arrival of Nate Hobbs, and Xavier McKinney established himself as one of the best safeties in the league last season. There's a chance, however, that this secondary doesn’t bring back cornerback Jaire Alexander with trade rumors swirling around the two-time All-Pro.
4. Chicago Bears
The Bears wouldn’t be ranked fourth in any other division besides the NFC North. Sure, it remains to be seen how quickly the new-look offensive line gels this season, but there’s no denying that this team has gained plenty of talent the past two years.
After a disastrous rookie season, Caleb Williams could be well protected with the arrivals of center Drew Dalman and guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. But it’s unknown how new coach Ben Johnson views tackles Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright given that Chicago used its second second-round pick on tackle Ozzy Trapilo. If the line holds up, Williams will have a plethora of pass catchers to target, including rookies Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III. They join the trio of DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet. Chicago did somewhat neglect the backfield this offseason, waiting until the seventh round to draft Kyle Monangai and pair him with D’Andre Swift.
There’s also plenty of star power on defense, but the unit might need time to get used to new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen after spending the past few seasons in Matt Eberflus’s scheme. Montez Sweat received a new running mate in Dayo Odeyingbo, and the interior of the defensive line gained veteran Grady Jarrett and rookie Shemar Turner. Linebacker T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds are reliable playmakers. And cornerback Jaylon Johnson is one of the best at his position. But this defense is going to need a bounce-back season from cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who’s known for talking to Washington Commanders fans while Jayden Daniels executed a walk-off Hail Mary in the game that turned around Chicago’s 2024 campaign for the worse.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025 NFL Season: Ranking Every NFC North Roster.