The Lions have the spotlight, but the NFC North could offer a few surprise teams this season.
Many are predicting Detroit will end its division title drought, which extends back to 1993, when the team played in the old NFC Central. But the Packers are an intriguing team with new starting quarterback Jordan Love and a defense filled with playmakers. Green Bay has enough pieces on its roster to push the Lions for the division crown.
Don’t count out Justin Jefferson and the Vikings, and perhaps the Bears are a year ahead in their rebuild project after making several roster updates this offseason.
Let’s break down the four rosters in the NFC North to assess whether the Lions are going to run away with the division in 2023.
4. Chicago Bears
GM Ryan Poles noticed the many hits quarterback Justin Fields took last season, including 55 sacks, while mustering dynamic plays with one of the worst rosters in the NFL. Chicago prioritized its offensive and defensive lines and expressed confidence in Fields after sending the No. 1 pick to Carolina for a handful of draft picks that filled various holes on the depth chart.
The Bears remain a work in progress and probably still need another year of constructing the roster, but the several offseason moves they made this year will give Fields an opportunity to prove that he’s just as dangerous with his arm as he is with his legs. (Fields rushed for 1,143 yards and threw for 2,242 last season.)
Poles revamped the offense by adding No. 1 wideout DJ Moore in the trade with Carolina and used the team’s first-round pick on right tackle Darnell Wright. Also, Chicago signed offensive guard Nate Davis, running back D’Onta Foreman and tight end Robert Tonyan. The new acquisitions, along with tight end Cole Kmet and wide receivers Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney, will give offensive coordinator Luke Getsy enough pieces to expand the playbook for Fields.
Defensively, the Bears need plenty of work, but they made progress with the splash signings of linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. The secondary has talented playmakers, including second-year safety Jaquan Brisker, who recorded 104 total tackles, four sacks and one interception last year.
Chicago’s roster was listed last primarily because of the lack of pass rushers and run stoppers on the defensive line. The team does, however, have some upside with rookie defensive tackles Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens, two players selected during Day 2 of the draft.
If Fields continues to improve in his third season, perhaps the Bears will climb up the rankings next offseason.
3. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings’ roster took a hit this offseason after the team traded Za’Darius Smith and released Adam Thielen and Eric Kendricks. Dalvin Cook will likely be next to go as a post–June 1 cut, which would make Minnesota a long shot to repeat as NFC North champion.
But the Vikings’ roster gets the nod over Chicago because they have a handful of promising players at various positions, and Jefferson, the league’s 2022 Offensive Player of the Year, still remains atop the wide receiver depth chart in Minnesota.
The Vikings quickly filled Thielen’s void by using a first-round pick on wide receiver Jordan Addison, who could form a standout duo with Jefferson. If Cook gets released, the Vikings have a reliable running back in Alexander Mattison, who has averaged 4.1 yards per carry the past four seasons.
The offensive line is subpar, but left tackle Christian Darrisaw, a 2021 first-round pick, had an impressive second season, earning a run-blocking grade of 90.6 and 92.4 for pass blocking, according to Pro Football Focus.
Minnesota could have the best tight end duo in the division with newcomer Josh Oliver and T.J. Hockenson, who recorded 519 receiving yards in seven games after being traded by the Lions.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins is back for a sixth season, but it might be his last in Minnesota with the team having the option of getting out of his contract in the offseason.
The Vikings might be looking to make a splash next offseason after creating cap space, but they spent money on the defensive side this past free agency with cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. and edge rusher Marcus Davenport, who could form a formidable duo with Danielle Hunter.
Hard-hitting safety Harrison Smith continues to make plays for the secondary, but this unit needs plenty of help after being one of the worst pass defenses in the league last season. Also, the Vikings are thin in the interior of the defensive line with the departure of Dalvin Tomlinson, and the team lacks playmakers at inside linebacker.
2. Green Bay Packers
Many are down on the Packers because they traded Aaron Rodgers to the Jets and have an unproven starting quarterback in Love.
But there are reasons why the team drafted Love in the first round three years ago and made the decision to move on from Rodgers this year. Love’s ready to ascend, and he might surprise many with his play this year.
Love likely won’t play like a rookie after learning from Rodgers the past three seasons, and he’s gotten some opportunities to play meaningful snaps—for example, when he stepped in for the injured Rodgers against the Eagles last season.
But Love should progress as a first-year starter with an inexperienced offensive roster. The Packers added three new playmakers, drafting wide receiver Jayden Reed and tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft.
Christian Watson, the team’s No. 1 wideout, flashed late last season and could be a breakout player in his second season. But Love will likely be forced to extend plays often behind a poor offensive line, which gave Rodgers plenty of fits last season.
Green Bay passed on an offensive tackle in the first round for versatile defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness, who flashed elite athleticism during his time at Iowa. If the 6'5", 272-pound Van Ness quickly finds his footing, the Packers might have the best group of pass rushers in the division with Preston Smith and Rashan Gary. Also, Jaire Alexander remains the best cornerback in the NFC North after another Pro Bowl season.
Love’s a mystery, and the offense lost plenty of veteran leaders, but this defense might be on the verge of a bounce-back season, making the Packers legit contenders for the division.
1. Detroit Lions
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The Lions could have easily settled this offseason after winning eight of their final 10 games last season, but they went all in by aggressively addressing positions of need and displayed forward thinking in other areas, especially at running back.
Detroit revamped its backfield, adding David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs, two running backs with different skill sets to keep defenses guessing. The Lions reached for Gibbs with the No. 12 pick, but no one will care if he flourishes as a threat in the passing game.
Quarterback Jared Goff is coming off a sensational 2022 season (29 touchdowns and seven interceptions) and will throw to the wideout tandem of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, who will be sidelined the first six games after violating the league’s gambling policy. The team returns Marvin Jones Jr. as the No. 3 wide receiver and to possibly step up during Williams’s absence. What sets this offense apart from the rest in the division is the rugged offensive line, which features bookend tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell.
The Lions splurged in free agency and improved the secondary with the arrivals of defensive backs Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. They also drafted Brian Branch, another versatile defensive back.
Also, Detroit is loaded at linebacker with Alex Anzalone, Malcolm Rodriguez and Jack Campbell, the No. 18 pick. The Lions have depth at various positions, but their one weakness might be on the defense front with a lack of pass rushers behind Aidan Hutchinson, the 2022 No. 2 pick.
