The start of training camp is under a month away, which means it’s time to reflect back on another busy offseason. After sending three teams to the postseason in 2024, could there be a changing of the guard this season? We’ll dive into each position on offense to rank all four teams.
Now that the bulk of the offseason is behind us, this is the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on each team’s chances within the NFC North. With training camp just a few weeks away, we’re around two months away from seeing it all play out on the field. Last year, the NFC North was the best division in the NFL during the regular season. Unfortunately, that did not play out well in the playoffs, with each team failing to win a postseason contest.
The Detroit Lions should remain favorites to win the division again in 2025, but the Chicago Bears and New York Jets have made efforts to poach some of their coaching talent. Although there weren’t many coaching changes within the division outside of Detroit losing their coordinators and the Bears re-racking yet again, there have still been plenty of changes when it comes to offensive personnel. We’ll dive into each group and determine who has the best units heading into the 2025 regular season.
Quarterback
1. Jared Goff (Detroit Lions)
When Goff was acquired from the Rams, many believed he was a place-holder until they drafted a quarterback. Multiple years later, he’s the best quarterback in the division heading into 2025. It’s worth noting that this will be his first season without Ben Johnson influencing the offense, so it’ll be interesting to see how that goes. The good news for him is that he has an elite offensive line in front of him and plenty of weapons to throw to. Goff is what he is at this point, which is a pretty damn-good quarterback. We’ll see if that’s enough to get them to a Super Bowl.
2. Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers)
After two years of Love taking over the reins as the starting quarterback in Green Bay, the results have been mixed, but mainly positive. Unlike his predecessor, he will not take care of the football either. His arm talent is undeniable, and when he’s on, he’s one of the better quarterbacks in the game. The issue right now is consistency. Green Bay hopes for a healthier year when Love can use his athleticism to extend plays. More consistent production from his pass catchers would also help. Year 3 feels like a pivotal one in determining just how high his ceiling is, especially with his floor already established as an above-average NFL quarterback.
3. Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears)
Last year’s No. 1 overall pick has a critically important second season ahead of him in Chicago. Simply put, 2024 was a disaster for the entire organization. Williams had an up-and-down rookie campaign, but his supporting cast ultimately let him down. Even so, the USC product did himself no favors as the season progressed, and he lost trust in the coaching and players around him. Hiring Johnson is a big step in the right direction, but rebuilding confidence and establishing better habits (both on and off the field) will be crucial to his success. There will be no excuses in 2025, and if all goes well, Williams could vault himself into the Top 10 of NFL quarterbacks heading into 2026.
4. JJ McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings)
The former No. 10 overall pick’s rookie season couldn’t have gone much worse. After an impressive preseason opener, it was announced that McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury. There are two different ways of looking at this:
- Minnesota should have kept Sam Darnold after establishing himself as a quality starting quarterback.
- If head coach Kevin McConnell can turn Darnold into an above-average quarterback after being labeled as a bust, is McCarthy’s ceiling closer to elite than originally believed?
The Vikings made their choice when they opted to let him leave in free agency. Now, they’ll move forward with the 22-year-old, the more cost-controlled option. The arm talent is there, and his supporting cast is outstanding. Now, all that is left is to get on the field and prove it. There could be a massive shakeup between McCarthy and Williams in next year’s rankings.
Running Back
1. Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, and Craig Reynolds (Lions)
Detroit has invested plenty into its running game over the past few seasons. Gibbs is a certified star, and Montgomery would be RB1 for about half the league. This group is built to sustain an injury for a short time and offers the dynamic ability to outmatch almost any defense in the league. With Montgomery’s recent extension and Gibbs in Year 3 of his first-round rookie deal, this group should remain elite for the next few years.
2. Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, and Emmanuel Wilson (Packers)
Last offseason, the NFC North saw quite the shakeup at the running back position. Jacobs signed a lucrative deal in Green Bay, Aaron Jones was released and quickly signed in Minnesota, and the Bears struck quickly with D’Andre Swift. This year, there wasn’t much change, especially in Green Bay. Assuming Lloyd is healthy, he should prove to be a good complement to Jacobs as the RB2.
3. Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and Ty Chandler (Vikings)
After signing a one-year deal last offseason, Jones is back for Year 2 in Minnesota. Despite turning 30 years old last December, Jones had a career-high 1,138 rushing yards. His yards-per-carry were slightly lower than usual, but he’s shown minimal signs of slowing down as he heads into his ninth year in the league. Mason was a surprise addition for this group, especially after his breakout season for San Francisco last year. This is a formidable one-two punch, with Chandler rounding out the group with more speed.
4. D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, and Kyle Monangai (Bears)
Despite their best efforts, the new-look Bears offense could not upgrade their running back room, at least on paper. Many expected them to draft a running back early, but after multiple failed attempts to trade up early in the draft, they came away with Monangai in the seventh round. Don’t be surprised to see Chicago continue to look for upgrades through free agency or a possible trade, but for now, this group has the lowest ceiling in the division for obvious reasons.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Wide Receiver
1. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick, Isaac TeSlaa (Lions)
The first three names on this list feel interchangeable. Minnesota’s top two receivers slightly outperformed the Lions’ duo of St. Brown and Williams, but I prefer Detroit’s overall depth. Patrick had a nice season as a role player, despite missing the last few years due to continued injuries. General manager Brad Holmes gambled big on TeSlaa when he traded away a pair of future third-round picks to move up and take the toolsy receiver. We’ll see how that works out over the next few years, but assuming Williams continues to ascend, this group is hard to beat.
2. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, and Tai Felton (Vikings)
Jefferson is one of, if not the best receiver in the league. Following an injury-riddled 2023 campaign, he came back with another big year. Almost as important, Addison proved that his rookie year was not a fluke. Even if the former USC product doesn’t have many WR1 traits, he’s a perfect complement to Jefferson’s style and allows Minnesota to hold one of the league’s best passing attacks. Both will be extremely valuable to a “rookie” quarterback playing in his first NFL season. Felton is the X-Factor in this group. If he can come in and contribute at a quality level in Year 1, the Vikings might find themselves in the top spot next year.
3. D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Olamide Zaccheaus (Bears)
A year ago, the excitement around this group couldn’t be ignored. Chicago added Kennan Allen and Odunze to support more, and on paper, it seemed like one of the best trios in the league. Instead, none of the three broke 1,000 yards, and the entire Bears passing offense struggled to get open for their rookie quarterback. With Johnson calling the shots, speed was a much bigger focus. Odunze should be in for a sophomore-year breakout, but Burden and Zaccheaus provide a critical speed element this group missed last year. This group has a lot of unproven production, but the ceiling is sky-high.
4. Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Rome Doubs, and Savion Williams (Packers)
Admittedly, I had much higher hopes for this Packers group last year than I should have. Reed was coming off an impressive rookie season, and Doubs and Christian Watson appeared ready to take the next step. Ultimately, Doubs was disappointed. Watson tore his ACL in Week 18, and Reed took a small step, but one that was not big enough to give Green Bay the warm and fuzzy feeling about this group. For the first time in over two decades, they spent a first-round pick at receiver (Golden), followed by a third-round selection (Williams). The floor feels relatively safe with this group, but there’s a lot of unknown. We’ll see if one of these names can step into the WR1 role and break up the collection of complementary pieces into better players.
Tight End
1. Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright (Lions)
Since being drafted in 2023, LaPorta has quickly broken onto the scene as one of the league’s better tight ends. The 24-year-old’s sophomore season wasn’t as productive as Year 1, but he’s someone that every team has to specifically scheme for. He’s the primary complement to St. Brown in Detroit’s offense and should be in line for a big season in 2025. Wright is more of a blocker, but still played over 50% of the team’s snaps in 2024.
2. T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver (Vikings)
When healthy, Hockenson is a weapon in a loaded Vikings passing offense. Following a career year in his first full season in Minnesota, Hockenson played just 10 games last year. Most concerning was that he didn’t have a single receiving touchdown. It’s fair to expect a bounce-back season from the former Iowa product. Oliver will have more competition on the depth chart behind him after the Vikings added both Gavin Bartholomew and Ben Yurosek during the draft process. This is a well-rounded group with some potential depth.
3. Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet (Bears)
Last year, the Bears invested a significant amount in the tight end position and were rewarded with… very little. Despite paying Gerald Everett $6 million per year, they received less than 100 receiving yards and a small snap share over 17 games. With Everett and Marcedes Lewis out of the fold, Chicago spent the No. 10 overall selection on Loveland. Rookie tight ends are notoriously slow starters, but fans will be hoping that Johnson can get similar production from the Michigan product as he did from LaPorta in his rookie season. Kmet’s role will be reduced, but there’s still plenty of value in the 26-year-old if he’s used correctly.
4. Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave (Packers)
Two years ago, Green Bay invested heavily in their offensive pass catchers when they went back-to-back-to-back with the combination of Musgrave, Reed, and Kraft. At the time, I said that Kraft could be better than Musgrave. Through two years, one thing is for sure: Kraft is a damn-good player. Musgrave’s availability was a big issue in 2024, which led to the former South Dakota State product taking the reins as TE1. This will be a big year for Musgrave, but at worst, the Packers have one perfect young tight end on their roster.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Offensive Line
1. Detroit Lions
If the Philadelphia Eagles have the best offensive line in football, Detroit has always been a close second. After losing center Frank Ragnow to a surprise retirement and allowing Kevin Zeitler to leave in free agency, there’s going to be a youth movement on the interior. Ragnow’s retirement makes No. 1 and No. 2 on this list much closer, but due to their depth, I’d still give the edge to the Lions. Tate Ratledge is in the driver’s seat for a starting job, but don’t overlook Christian Mahogany and Miles Frazier’s value as young depth with plus-starting potential.
2. Minnesota Vikings
This offseason was a big one for the interior of the Vikings’ offensive line. Their starting three has been inconsistent (at best), but they went out and added two plus-starters in Will Fries and Ryan Kelly. Not to mention, they used their first-round pick on do-it-all Ohio State lineman Donovan Jackson. That should push Blake Brandel into a reserve role. He’ll provide depth alongside names like Walter Rouse and Justin Skule. This is the best offensive line (on paper) Minnesota has had in a long time.
3. Chicago Bears
Bears fans have become accustomed to bad offensive lines ruining the development of their young quarterbacks. After a turbulent rookie season for Williams, the primary focus of this offseason has been on the offensive side of the ball. That started with Johnson’s hiring, which quickly trickled down to landing three new interior starters on the offensive line, as well as a potential new starting tackle in Ozzy Trapilo, whom they selected in Round 2. This group might take some time to gel, but they’ve got four above-average starters (or better) for the first time since their Super Bowl run in 2006.
4. Green Bay Packers
For years, the Packers have topped this list, boasting some of the best offensive lines in football. While I’d argue that this is still an above-average unit, there are many more questions than in the past. It’s been a while, but they rank last in this category because they are more a product of the other teams in the division and less about them. They paid a hefty price for left guard Aaron Banks, which moves Elgton Jenkins inside to center. It’ll be interesting to see how they plan to deploy 2024 first-rounder Jordan Morgan, who missed most of his rookie season due to injury. Again, this isn’t a bad group, but they have the least proven starters and the most questions heading into the season.