NFL: NFC North Preview

We move to my home division – in my opinion the best division in football in 2026. These are my pre-training camp takes.

NFC North Preview

Minnesota Vikings (8.5 Wins, +525 NFC North, +2200 NFC, +5000 SB)

• Coaching – HC Kevin O’Connell returns to lead the Vikings back. KOC has his full staff back with OC Wes Phillips (since 2022) and the best DC in the NFL Brian Flores – who still can’t get a head coaching job for the benefit of the Vikings. Honestly, this may be the best staff in the NFL top to bottom, which that stability has led to results.
• Key Departures – DT Javon Hargrave (to GB), DE Jonathan Allen (to CIN), WR Jalen Nailor (to LVR), S Harrison Smith (unsigned), CB Jeff Okudah (unsigned), WR Adam Thielen (retired), CB Stephon Gilmore (retired), C Ryan Kelly (retired)
• Additions
  • Free Agents/Trades – QB Kyler Murray (from AZ), WR Jauan Jennings (from SF), CB James Pierre (from PIT), OT Ryan Van Demark (from BUF), DT Isaiahh Loudermilk (from PIT), S Jamal Adams (from LVR)
  • Draft – DE Caleb Banks (1st – Florida), LB Jake Golday (2nd – Cincinnati), DT Domonique Orange (3rd – Iowa State), OT Caleb Tiernan (3rd – Northwestern), S Jakobe Thomas (3rd – Miami), CB Charles Demmings (5th – SFA), FB Max Bredeson (5th – Michigan)
• Outlook – The Murray signing is really the differentiator for me. This team, despite my downgrade last year, still won 9 games with a subpar QB and when they had already been eliminated from the playoffs. Kevin O’Connell can coach, and with Murray and the weapons in MIN, they should be formidable. Lastly, MIN has the best defense in the division with Micah Parsons out. I’m probably too high on the Vikes, but they have a complete team with a healthy Murray.
• Prediction – 11-6 – Ambitious, yes – however, I think they will be the division winner – much like the Bears last year as a surprise.

Green Bay Packers (9.5 Wins, +230 NFC North, +1000 NFC, +2000 SB)

• Coaching – HC Matt LaFleur returns, and he is a good coach. However, in high leverage situations in the playoffs – like at the Bears (and even in the regular season matchup) – he lost his edge. I think he is on the hot seat this year. That doesn’t mean he is like Zac Taylor, but the Pack have had a talented team for several years and have not reached a Super Bowl. OC Adam Stenavich returns with some new faces to integrate into his and LaFleur’s system. With Hafley going to MIA, LaFleur tapped DC Jonathan Gannon, former HC of AZ. I think that is a great hire. He was a very good DC in IND before getting the AZ job. In my view, HCs that move back to coordinators do quite well, as they can focus on their strength again.
• Key Departures – C Elgton Jenkins (to CLE), LB Quay Walker (to LVR), QB Malik Willis (to MIA), WR Romeo Doubs (to NE), WR Dontayvion Wicks (trade to PHI), DE Rashan Gary (trade to DAL)
• Additions
  • Free Agents/Trades – DE Javon Hargrave (from MIN), LB Zaire Franklin (trade via IND), CB Benjamin St-Juste (from LAC), QB Tyrod Taylor (from NYJ), WR Skyy Moore (from SF)
  • Draft – CB Brandon Cisse (2nd – South Carolina), DT Chris McClellan (3rd – Missouri), DE Dani Dennis-Sutton (4th – Penn State), OG Jager Burton (5th – Kentucky)
• Outlook – My love for the Pack has no end apparently. I do think they have downgraded their WR room with the moves. Putting all their eggs in the Christian Watson basket with his payday is highly questionable, as he hasn’t stayed healthy an entire season in his career. 2nd Year Matthew Golden needs to step up. I actually thought once they lost Tucker Kraft, their offense was middling. He should be healthy again. However, the running game and D should still be solid for this team, however Josh Jacobs does have some legal issues which makes the RB vulnerable. To me, once Parsons does come back, then they will get a shot in the arm mid-season (October). At that stage of the year, if LaFleur can keep his team competitive then they should make a final push for the playoffs. I do not see them as the contender they were a year ago, but if things break right who knows.
• Prediction – 10-7 – The Pack will get in the playoffs again just edging out the next 2 teams in the division.

Detroit Lions (10.5 Wins, +160 NFC North, +850 NFC, +1700 SB)

• Coaching – HC Dan Campbell returns, and he is America’s Coach. However, the fall from grace with the Ben Johnson departure after 2024 was noted – the Offense took a bit to bounce back and the D underperformed. They missed the playoffs and actually finished 4th in the division. OC Drew Petzing gets the job after Campbell made the change mid-season at OC – Petzing was the AZ OC – underwhelming to me. Kelvin Sheppard returns as the DC to a really maligned unit. You can’t keep blaming injuries for poor drafting and depth.
• Key Departures – RB David Montgomery (trade to HOU), WR Kalif Raymond (to CHI), LB Alex Anzalone (to TB), QB Kyle Allen (to BUF), DT DJ Reader (to NYG), OT Taylor Decker (unsigned), LB Zach Cunningham (unsigned), DE Marcus Davenport (unsigned)
• Additions
  • Free Agents/Trades – DE DJ Wonnum (from CAR), C Cade Mays (from CAR), CB Roger McCreary (from LAR), RB Isiah Pacheco (from KC), DT Jay Tufele (from NYJ), DE Payton Turner (from DAL), WR Cedrick Wilson (from MIA), WR Greg Dortch (from AZ), LB Damone Clark (from HOU), OG Ben Bartch (from SF), S Christian Izien (from TB), S Chuck Clark (from PIT), C Juice Scruggs (trade via HOU), QB Teddy Bridgewater (from TB)
  • Draft – OT Blake Miller (1st – Clemson), DE Derrick Moore (2nd – Michigan), LB Jimmy Rolder (4th – Michigan), CB Keith Abney (5th – AZ State)
• Outlook – Everyone seems to think the Lions easy schedule will translate into a NFC North crown in 2026. I’m not buying it yet. The D has been the issue even when the team was at its peak. Losing Montgomery will have an impact, even with Pacheco entering the team. The Offense may still be great, but teams usually have a 3 year window for excellence, and the Lions are past that. Their O-Line is not what it was in 2024. I’ll be against them this year, as I did last year. It is not a big downgrade from the market, but I think they miss the playoffs again. SOS will help them a lot, but this division is tough, and I can seem them being below .500 this year.
• Prediction – 10-7 – Just miss the playoffs – it will come down to tiebreakers with GB.

Chicago Bears (9.5 Wins, +310 NFC North, +1300 NFC, +2500 SB)

• Coaching – Ben Johnson had a great Year 1 – really the best you can hope for. The Bears won the division, including beating GB in the playoffs, and were a whisker away from the NFC Title Game. OC is now Press Taylor now that Declan Doyle went to BAL. Taylor has been successful in a couple of stops – it will still be Johnson’s Offense, and he was the Passing Game Coordinator for the Bears last year. DC Dennis Allen returns, and I was a little skeptical early, but his in-game adjustments in the playoff games really mattered. So, the Bears staff seems right there with Minnesota at this point.
• Key Departures – CB Nahshon Wright (to NYJ), WR DJ Moore (trade to BUF), S Kevin Byard (to NE), S Jonathan Owens (to IND), DT Andrew Billings (to AZ), LB Tremaine Edmunds (to NYG), C Drew Dalman (retired), OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (to PHI), S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (to Bills), S Jaquan Brisker (to PHI)
• Additions
  • Free Agents/Trades – C Garrett Bradbury (trade via NE), LB Devin Bush (from CLE), S Coby Bryant (from SEA), WR Kalif Raymond (from DET), WR Scotty Miller (from PIT), DT Neville Gallimore (from IND), DT Kentavius Street (from ATL), S Cam Lewis (from BUF)
  • Draft – S Dillon Thienemann (1st – Oregon), (C Logan Jones (2nd – Iowa), WR Zavion Thomas (3rd – LSU), TE Sam Roush (3rd – Stanford), CB Malik Muhammad (4th – Texas), LB Keyshaun Elliott (5th – AZ State)
• Outlook – My team will be good, no doubt. However, it is hard to ignore the Bears winning 6-7 games in the final possession in 2026 – those types of trends will regress to the mean. Look at the Chiefs in 2024 to 2025. If Caleb Williams can continue his ascent as a top QB in the league, then yes, they can win the division again. I still want to see this new look Defense in preseason, as the TO Margin was completely unsustainable from 2025 and now you has new faces. Pass rush without blitzing is the real metric I want to see for the Bears. Can they get to the QB without blitzing and exposing the secondary? I have them out of the playoffs now, but we are talking pre-training camp.
• Prediction – 9-8 – They will be right in the mix for the playoffs throughout and I’ll likely upgrade them in my final take.

I’m sure I’m going to get some hate for this post, but send it at me. On to the AFC South next.

Wegs