Green Bay Packers
The Packers offense suffered a major loss with the trade of WR Devante Adams so they are betting on the talent of Aaron Rodgers to lift a young WR corps to fill the gaps. They need one of the rookies (Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Samori Toure) or second-year man Amari Rodgers to step up. Preseason hype seems to be favoring Romeo Doubs and I can’t say I’m surprised. He’s a more refined receiver than Watson and that will matter to Aaron Rodgers. Allen Lazard steps into a much bigger role and the team is hoping veterans Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb can still get the job done while the youngsters develop. TE Robert Tonyan returns from injury and the need him to be a weapon. The passing game will come down to what Rodgers can get out of the new guys.
The offensive line needs David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins to get healthy and lock down the tackle spots. With a compromised WR corps, Rodgers is going to need all the time he can get in the passing game. The interior of the line should be fine even with the loss of Lucas Patrick in free agency. C Josh Myers, LG Jon Runyan and RG Royce Newman can handle things. The running game is in really solid shape with Aaron Jones leading the way and AJ Dillon emerging last season. Jones will likely become an even bigger part of the passing game with Adams gone as Rodgers will look to the guys he knows he can trust.
Rodgers may be pushing 40 but he was the MVP last season and he’s still one of the five best QBs in the league, even without Adams to throw to. He and coach Matt LaFleur have had quite a bit of success in the regular season and now are just looking to get over the hump in the playoffs. If you need a reason to believe the Packers will win the NFC North, I’ll give you three. Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields and Jared Goff, those are the starting QBs of the three other teams in the division. I wouldn’t bet against Rodgers against those guys, or this team’s defense.
That’s right, the Packers biggest advantage in the division may be Rodgers but their defense is a close second. The Packers needed some help up front and they got it with veteran free agent signing Jarran Reed and first-round draft pick Devonte Wyatt. Reed isn’t flashy but he’s solid and Wyatt was the overshadowed member of Georgia’s defensive line but he’s a very versatile guy up front. He brings some youth and depth to a defensive line that needed both.
The linebackers also got an influx of talent and youth in the draft with Quay Walker. He wasn’t the biggest star on Georgia’s defense either but he’s a very talented LB. He’s big, he’s fast, he has great instincts, and he’s exactly what the Packers needed inside next to breakout star De’Vondre Campbell. Campbell was a beast last year and he should be even better with Walker next to him. Preston Smith and Rashan Gary have to stay healthy and bring the pass rush from the edge if this defense is going to fulfill it’s potential. There isn’t much depth beyond these two outside so the team will be looking for some help during training camp.
The true strength of the Packers defense is the secondary. CB Jaire Alexander got paid like a superstar in the off season and when he’s healthy, he is one. Rasul Douglas found a home in Green Bay and played really well for the Packers so they brought him back. Eric Stokes was a good draft pick two years ago and he allows the team to play three CBs and let Alexander spend a lot of time in the slot where he’s excellent. Adrian Amos is the veteran leader at strong safety while Darnell Savage is the emerging star at free safety. The team will continue to look for depth, like every team in the league does in the secondary, but this team’s starters are arguably the best in football.
Minnesota Vikings
While I’m not a Kirk Cousins fan, he is the next best QB in this division and the Vikings offense should be quite good under new head coach Kevin O’Connell. Cousins has plenty of firepower to work with in the passing game and one of the best RBs in the league. Justin Jefferson is emerging as one of the top WRs in football, Adam Thielen can still get it done even as he’s getting a bit older and KJ Osborn and Ihmir Smith-Marsette give the Vikings some nice youth. Throw in TE Irv Smith Jr, if he can get and stay healthy, and the passing game should be ready to roll.
The offensive line should benefit from having Christian Darrisaw at LT all year after he started late last season after an injury. C Garrett Bradbury has been the weak link on the line, the team is hoping the offense will help him but I wouldn’t be optimistic. They are looking for alternatives. RT Brian O’Neill is one of the better RTs in the league and that means the edges are secure. Veteran Jesse Davis and rookie Ed Ingram were added to compete inside with Ezra Cleveland to make the interior of the offensive line better. That would help Dalvin Cook be even better running the ball and he’s already one of the best. The Vikings are one of the better running teams in the league because Cook is elite and his backup, Alexander Mattison, is pretty good too. This team has the offense to compete for a playoff spot, it’s up to the defense to hold their own.
The defense will be playing a base 3-4 look as the team gave Danielle Hunter a new deal and signed Za’Darius Smith from Green Bay to be their pass rushing OLBs. It’s a gamble given the injury history of both players and the fact that Smith is coming off a lost season and is about to turn 30. This team is looking to win now and they need these two to be elite pass rushers for this defense. They signed Jordan Hicks to sure up the other ILB spot next to Eric Kendricks and their LBs need to be the strength of the defense. The defensive line has NT Dalvin Tomlinson, who’s pretty good in the middle, but he’s flanked by some fairly non-descript DEs like Harrison Phillips, Armon Watts, and Jaylen Twyman. 3-4 DEs are usually non-descript but these guys don’t move the needle at all.
The secondary needs a couple of old guys to continue to play well and a couple of young guys to step up. CB Patrick Peterson isn’t what he once was but he still gets the job done but 32-year-old CBs are rare for a reason. He could fall off a cliff at any moment. He’s not even the elder statesman of the secondary, SS Harrison Smith is 33 and still plays at a high level, they need him to stay there. Cam Dantzler is a solid CB but it would be nice if Andrew Booth Jr, the rookie from Clemson, can stay healthy and play up to his potential. FS Lewis Cine is another Georgia defender taken in round one and he should be a starter immediately. The team did sign nickel corner Chadron Sullivan from Green Bay, he’s a nice pickup.
Detroit Lions
I have to say, I actually really like almost all of the Lions’ offense. Plenty of it is based on potential but they have a high upside group on that side of the ball. Amon-Ra St. Brown was really good as a rookie last season and they went out and got him some help. DJ Chark is coming off an injury as a free agent addition who is looking to prove himself. He’s a talented guy and should be a nice complement as big WR outside. They team drafted Jameson Williams; he’s coming off an injury too and he is likely to miss at least the first half of the year. He’s really good and he’ll be a fantastic deep threat once he’s healthy. Williams, Chark and St. Brown make for a very complementary trio given their skillsets, if they ever get on the field together, they will be dynamic. The team also has a rising TE in TJ Hockenson. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s athletic, and he could really break out this year.
The offensive line has a chance to be one of the better lines in the league. LT Taylor Decker and RT Penei Sewell are really good. C Frank Ragnow is one of the better centers in football and Jonah Jackson and Halapoulivaati Vaitai are solid at guard. RB D’Andre Swift is a talented RB both running and receiving and if they focus a little more on getting him going on the ground it should help their offense overall. Jamaal Williams is a very good backup. That leaves the one issue for the offense being QB Jared Goff. He’s not an awful QB but he doesn’t raise the game of anyone around him and he’s just keeping the seat warm until the Lions can find a long-term solution. When I said I liked “almost” all of their offense, Goff is the guy holding me back.
The talent on defense is still lacking but they are building something. Guys like Aidan Hutchinson and Malcolm Rodriguez were added in the draft and they bring a hardnosed, grinder mentality just like their head coach. Hutchinson is a serious pass rushing upgrade for the Lions but he wins as much with his relentless motor as he does with his talent and technical skill. He’ll start at one DE with Charles Harris likely at the other end. Romeo Okwara will give Harris a run for his money though. Alim McNeil and Michael Brockers bring the beef at DT to hopefully free up the ends to make plays.
The LBs are Chris Board, Julian Okwara, and Alex Anzalone for now. None of them scare anyone and I wouldn’t bet against Rodriguez stealing a job early. He’s not the biggest LB you’ll find but he’s a maniac. There’s also a good chance they play nickel a lot and only play two LBs. The secondary has some question marks too. Number one being CB Jeff Okudah, he hasn’t come anywhere close to being the player he was expected to be. He’s had injury issues and performance issues and they need him to step up. Amari Oruwariye played well last season and they need him to continue to develop. They signed Mike Hughes to be their third CB, maybe the third team is the charm for him. At safety, they signed DeShon Elliot to pair with Tracy Walker. Elliot missed most of last season so it’s a shot in the dark if he makes it back. Don’t count out rookie Kerby Joseph, he could be a player for them.
Chicago Bears
The Bears finally moved on from Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace but they hired the equally unproven Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles to the head coach and GM roles. Looking at the overall roster and it’s clear this team is in for multi-year rebuild. They have a QB to build around and some nice young pieces in the secondary but beyond that, it’s mostly hope for the best. Justin Fields has a world of talent but he’s not going to get a ton of help from this offense. WR Darnell Mooney had a really good year last year but when he is far and away your best WR, that’s a problem. He should be Fields’ favorite target this year but that’s by default, he’s good, he’s not a true #1 WR. Byron Pringle was their big free agent addition, that’s rough. Velus Jones Jr. was their big draft pick pickup, not ideal. They signed Equanimeous St. Brown and traded for N’Keal Harry, hardly game changers. If I’m a Bears fan I’m crossing my fingers Dazz Newsome can develop into something. They have a good RB group led by David Montgomery, he’s not necessarily elite but he’s very good and they should rely on him more. Khalil Herbert is a pretty talented backup too. TE Cole Kmet is a guy they hope breaks out this year but that might be tough if the offense is as inconsistent as it looks like it could be.
The offensive line is the biggest reason to believe the offense could stutter and be inconsistent this season. If the blocking for your second-year QB in his first year in a new offense is suspect, things can get dicey. They signed Lucas Patrick to come in and take over at center, he promptly got hurt and is missing time in camp, not ideal for a new guy. Cody Whitehair is entrenched at LG, after that, the line is a mystery. At LT, rookie Braxton Jones stepped in during minicamp and he’s the best bet for long-term success at the position. He’s having a good training camp giving everyone hope he’s the real deal. Jones comes from a small school so there’s going to be an adjustment period, he could struggle early. The good news is this team isn’t looking for immediate success this year, they are looking to develop their youth. Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom are two young guys they thought they could develop, that looks less likely now. The team was so unconvinced of those two they signed veterans Riley Reiff and Michael Schofield and for now they are the right side of the line. Borom seems to be the swing tackle and maybe an OG backup but Jenkins may be the odd man out. That’s a precipitous fall for last year’s second round pick.
Even in some of their leanest years, the Bears usually had a good defense, I wouldn’t count on that this season. Their best defender up front is DE Robert Quinn and they should really trade him to take advantage of his great year last year while he still has trade value. Quinn is expensive and he’s 32, that means he’s not going to be around when this team might be good again. Getting draft capital for him would be wise. Even with Quinn this defensive line is going to struggle. Trevis Gipson, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Justin Jones, Mario Edwards Jr, Khyiris Tonga, and Angelo Blackson are the other names on the depth chart. They aren’t scaring anyone but Bears’ fans.
Roquan Smith is a fantastic MLB who tackles everything, he’s good and he should be the leader of this defense. However, the team hasn’t given him a contract extension, he’s unhappy and has requested a trade. That’s not a great thing for a defense looking for an identity. Nicolas Morrow and either Matt Adams or Joe Thomas are slated to flank him, not the most intimidating unit. The secondary can be the strength of this defense, although that’s not setting the bar very high. CB Jaylon Johnson is a talented second-year player while Eddie Jackson is a steady veteran at FS. The team drafted SS Jaquan Brisker and CB Kyler Gordon in the second round of the draft and they both should start this year. Tavon Young is the nickel corner while Kindle Vildor and Thomas Graham Jr. are a couple of young guys they can develop for depth.
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