In the fourth article of a five-part roundtable series, the WCG staff ranks the top 50 players in the NFC North heading into 2025.
The 2025 NFL season is a few months away, and the anticipation for the start of the season is at an extremely high level.
As the NFL Network has done their player consensus Top 100 ranking each year, Windy City Gridiron’s staff has put together a roundtable over the last few seasons of the best players in the NFC North. With seven contributors pitching in for this year’s roundtable, there was a strong diversity of opinions that provided for some entertaining rankings.
Before we get started, let’s set up the ground rules. Each WCG participant was asked to send their top 32 players in the NFC North. A player’s ranking determined how many points they would receive (32 points for first, 31 points for second, etc.), and the total points were added up to create the rankings.
Note: Tiebreakers will be broken by whichever player appeared on more ballots. If that total is the same, then the tiebreaker will go to whichever player received the highest ranking on an individual ballot. If that scenario also does not result in a clear winner, ballot organizer Jacob Infante will break the tie.
The rankings so far
21. Lions OT Taylor Decker
22. Packers QB Jordan Love
23. Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson
24. Vikings WR Jordan Addison
25. Bears C Drew Dalman
26. Packers EDGE Rashan Gary
27. Vikings CB Byron Murphy
28. Vikings OT Brian O’Neill
29. Bears CB Kyler Gordon
30. Lions WR Jameson Williams
31. Vikings RB Aaron Jones
32. Packers CB Jaire Alexander (has since been released)
33. Lions DT Alim McNeill
34. Bears EDGE Montez Sweat
35. Packers C Elgton Jenkins
36. Lions CB DJ Reed
37. Vikings OG Will Fries
38. Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper
39. Bears CB Caleb Williams
40. Packers WR Jayden Reed
41. Lions RB David Montgomery
42. Packers DT Kenny Clark
43. Vikings DT Jonathan Allen
44. Lions WR/PR Kalif Raymond
45. Bears WR Rome Odunze
46. Vikings LS Andrew DePaola
47. Lions LB Jack Campbell
48. Packers TE Tucker Kraft
49. Vikings DT Javon Hargrave
50. Bears OT Braxton Jones
No. 20: Bears OT Darnell Wright
Best: No. 14 (Orenchuk)
Low: N/A (Salo)
Last year: No. 37
After a decent rookie season, Wright took a massive step in 2024. He finished with a 79.3 PFF grade, placing him 16th among 140 offensive tackles. His movement skills for his size and tenacity have made him a valuable asset at right tackle on Chicago’s offensive line.
No. 19: Packers OT Zach Tom
Best: No. 10 (Salo)
Low: N/A (Leming)
Last year: NR
Just three offensive tackles in the entire NFL finished with a higher PFF grade than Tom in 2024. A dominant run blocker with elite athletic ability, he might be the best offensive tackle in the league to not have received Pro Bowl recognition at this point.
No. 18: Bears WR DJ Moore
Best: No. 15 (Leming)
Low: No. 24 (Salo)
Last year: No. 5
After tallying 1,364 receiving yards in his first year with the Bears, Moore took a step back in production and fell just short of 1,000 yards. However, he ended up with 98 receptions and scored six touchdowns off of what was a confusingly limited route tree under Shane Waldron.
No. 17: Vikings EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel
Best: No. 13 (Salo)
Low: No. 26 (Mongo)
Last year: NR
Heading into 2024, Van Ginkel had a reputation as an efficient rotational pass-rusher from his time with the Dolphins. In his first year with the Vikings, he showed that he’s much more than that. He ended the year with 11.5 sacks, 18 tackles for a loss and two defensive touchdowns in a Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro campaign.
No. 16: Lions QB Jared Goff
Best: No. 9 (Wiltfong)
Low: No. 28 (Orenchuk)
Last year: No. 12
The highest-rated quarterback in the NFC North, Goff has gone 27-7 in the regular season as Detroit’s starting quarterback the last two years. It will be interesting to see how he fares without Ben Johnson, though his pinpoint accuracy and veteran instincts should still be maximized well by the talented weapons around him.
No. 15: Packers RB Josh Jacobs
Best: No. 9 (Zimmerman)
Low: N/A (Orenchuk)
Last year: No. 21
The move to Green Bay proved to be a fruitful one for Jacobs, as he ended the year a Pro Bowler with a career-high 15 rushing touchdowns. Behind a talented Packers offensive line, he’s a practical guarantee to surpass 1,000 rushing yards each year.
No. 14: Lions S Brian Branch
Best: No. 11 (Orenchuk)
Low: 23 (Mongo)
Last year: No. 26
In just two NFL seasons, Branch has proven himself to be one of the best and most versatile defensive backs in the game. After a tremendous rookie year, he followed up with a Pro Bowl appearance in 2024, notching four interceptions, 16 pass deflections, 109 tackles and eight tackles for a loss.
No. 13: Lions TE Sam LaPorta
Best: No. 11 (Wiltfong)
Low: No. 17 (Mongo)
Last year: No. 11
With the massive breakout year from Jameson Williams, LaPorta saw a slight decrease in production in Year 2 of his young NFL career. However, he still finished top-six among all tight ends in receiving yards and touchdowns. He’s firmly among the best at his position.
No. 12: Vikings EDGE Jonathan Greenard
Best: No. 9 (Leming)
Low: No. 17 (Infante)
Last year: No. 34
Greenard put together an explosive 12.5-sack season for the Texans in 2023, and he maintained that high level of play upon signing with the Vikings last year. With 12 sacks, 18 tackles for a loss and 22 quarterback hits, he earned Pro Bowl recognition as one of the best pass-rushers in the league in 2024.
No. 11: Vikings OT Christian Darrisaw
Best: No. 8 (Mongo)
Low: No. 15 (Salo)
Last year: No. 13
Despite missing 10 games due to injury in 2024, Darrisaw finds himself rising two spots compared to last year’s rankings. He’s finished above 80.0 in PFF grades each of the last three years and has been at least top 12 among roughly 140 offensive tackles (on both sides) every time.