The off-season is officially here, and now we can start to look into every division and see where I think they stand coming up after the NFL draft. Let’s take a look at one of the, if not the most competitive divisions in the league, the NFC North.
4. Minnesota Vikings
This may be my most controversial take, but I feel as if the Minnesota Vikings are going to take the biggest plummet in the NFC North. I don’t think they’ll be a bad team by any means, however, if the Bears improve, and the Lions and Packers stay how they’ve been, then the Vikings are going to be the black sheep. It’s hard to doubt Kevin O’Connell, but the fact that free agency wasn’t kind to them, and the schedule is looking to take a large jump in difficulty, we may be in for a tough season for the Vikings. Expecting around seven to nine wins for the Vikings.
3. Chicago Bears
While I think the Bears have greatly improved this coming season, I don’t think they’ll be division winners by any means. In fact, I don’t think they’ll make too big of a jump in terms of playoff success, in my opinion, just barely missing the playoffs again. The addition of several veteran lineman was very necessary, but the success of the Bears depends on whether or not the offense can live up to the potential its been touting since the beginning of last season. They’ve got the pieces together, but in typical Bears fashion, I think they’ll fall just short. Expecting eight to ten wins.
2. Green Bay Packers
I’m expecting the Packers to have a pretty similar season to 2024. They have a relatively middle-of-the-road schedule in terms of difficulty, playing both the AFC North and the NFC East, two top-heavy divisions with bottom feeders rounding them out. They also drafted pretty well (specifically Matthew Golden), they didn’t lose too much in free agency, and generally kept everything about the same. If they can work out a deal with Jaire Alexander, they should be good to go. I don’t really have anything too crazy to say for the Packers, just expect them to do what they do best, be consistently good no matter what. I’m prediction the Packers to give themselves around eleven to twelve wins this upcoming season.
1. Detroit Lions
Detroit is going to be the top dog once again in the NFC North. Considering how close they were to making it to the Superbowl, I don’t think this is an unpopular opinion. I’d say they have an easier schedule than last year, which definitely bodes well for the Superbowl window they are currently in. The biggest thing that took them down in 2024 was injuries, which while unpredictable, should hopefully be much less impactful than they were for last season’s nearly record-breakingly injured Lions roster. Overall, I think the Lions are in their Superbowl window, and they are going into this season with a bitter taste in their mouth. I’m predicting thirteen to fifteen wins this season for the Lions.
