Last season, the NFC North sent three of their four teams to the NFL Playoffs. The Detroit Lions, who won the division for the second year in a row, were the top seed in the conference after going 15-2. The Minnesota Vikings, who finished second in the division, were 14-3. Finally, the Green Bay Packers, the third-place NFC North team, finished the year 11-5.
And, of course, the Chicago Bears finished last with a 5-12 record.
But the 2024 NFL season is over and all four teams have made, or plan to make, some fairly significant changes to their rosters. The biggest moves of free agency have been made and the 2025 NFL Draft is on the horizon.
Here is how the four teams rank ahead of the draft.
4. The Chicago Bears
As the only team in the division to miss the playoffs last season, the Bears must remain ranked fourth until they prove that they are not. Watching NFL scores was certainly a sore spot last season for Bears’ fans. That being said, there is a great deal about which fans can be optimistic.
Not only did Caleb Williams have the best season for a Chicago rookie quarterback in franchise history, he had one of the best seasons in franchise history, period. The number one overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft finished his first year with a 62.5% completion percentage, 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, six interceptions, and an 87.8 passer rating.
Not only do the Bears have a rising star at quarterback, they also were able to land the hottest name on the head coaching market this offseason: Ben Johnson. The former Lions offensive coordinator is a guru and called Detroit’s high-octane offense over the last few years. If he is able to replicate that success in Chicago as head coach, the Bears will not be ranked fourth for long.
3. The Minnesota Vikings
Despite finishing with the second-best record in the NFC last season, there is reason to believe that Minnesota could take a step back in 2025. This, of course, is because their Pro Bowl quarterback, Sam Darnold, was not retained and opted to sign with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency.
And while four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers expressed interest in playing for the Vikings, his former long-time rival from his days in Green Bay, Minnesota has made the decision they will roll into 2025 with former Michigan quarterback and National Champion JJ McCarthy as their starter.
McCarthy, as many are aware, missed all of last season with a torn ACL. He was, however, the tenth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and, obviously, is thought of very highly in the Vikings organization. If he is able to play even as well as Williams did last year in Chicago, Minnesota could still be a very dangerous team. Minnesota residents might have more than just an MLS team near the top of the MLS standings, they could have their NFL team follow suit again this upcoming season.
2. Green Bay Packers
The Packers finished just 1-5 against the rest of the NFC North last season, but have also made sure-fire improvements to their roster while the moves made by Chicago and Minnesota are not as certain to be successful.
Nate Hobbs was signed away from the Las Vegas Raiders to add quality cornerback depth as Jaire Alexander appears poised to leave Green Bay. Aaron Banks was signed to play left guard, which means that two-time Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins will slide over to center (Josh Myers was not retained and has since signed with the New York Jets).
As is the usual case for the Packers, they are going to rely on improvements by the players they already have to carry them to the next level. Jordan Love spent all of the 2024 season hurt and even missed two games. If he is able to stay healthy, and the rest of the team takes the next steps the organization believes they can, Green Bay could be right there at the end of the season fighting for the division crown.
1. Detroit Lions
The good news for the Lions is that they will, presumably, be a great deal more healthy in 2025 than they were in 2024 when they saw over 10 players on the defensive side of the ball spend time on injured reserve. Getting these players back is like getting a massive free agent class signed.
However, there are serious questions about the “brain drain” effect. As mentioned, Johnson, their offensive coordinator, is now the head coach of the Bears. Aaron Glenn, their defensive coordinator, was hired as the head coach of the Jets.
Indeed, coaching as been one of Detroit’s biggest strengths over the last few years, and their success going forward could depend on their replacements achieving the same level of success.
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