Chicago Bears

In 2025 the Bears won 11 games and the division and while the NFC North is going to be a battle, there is no reason to think they can’t win it again.  Ben Johnson proved he was worth waiting for as a head coach and he looks to build on the progress Caleb Wiliams made as a QB.  Williams’ progression in the offense is a major reason for optimism along with Johnson’s ability to scheme up the run game. 

They traded away WR DJ Moore but they hope for a return to health by Rome Odunze and the emergence of second-year WR Luthur Burden III will be enough to offset the loss of Moore’s experience.  The team began to feature TE Colston Loveland more and more as last season wore on and his role should only continue to grow.  Cole Kmet is still a useful TE and while they don’t have a clear #3 WR (sorry, Khalif Raymond doesn’t count), the passing game should be fine with Odunze, Burden, and Loveland doing the heavy lifting. 

The offensive line was light year’s ahead of where it was in 2024 after importing an entirely new interior group; LG Joe Thuney, C Drew Dalman, and RG Jonah Jackson.  Thuney and Jackson return but Dalman retired early and left a hole they had to fill.  They traded for C Garrett Bradbury from the Patriots and then drafted Logan Jones from Iowa.  It’s going to be Jones’ job at some point, but Bradbury won’t give it up without a fight.  They should be fine there either way.  LT is a sore spot, and they are hoping former starter Braxton Jones can recover from his injuries and take the spot back.  Ozzy Trapilo was supposed to take the job, but he tore his patellar tendon late in the year so he shouldn’t be counted on.   RT Darnell Wright is a rock, and he really played excellent ball last season. 

The run game is a nice mix of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai who have perfectly complementary running styles.  Swift is the quick and nimble guy and Monangai is the guy who will run through your face.  Ben Johnson designs a very effective run game and uses the skills of his two RBs as well as anyone in the league. 

The defensive front could be troublesome for the Bears if they don’t get better health and productivity out of some of their guys from last year because they didn’t add much help in the off season.  DE Montez Sweat was his usual productive self, but he needs some help on the edge.  Dayo Odeyingbo started the season opposite Sweat and then got hurt. Austin Booker was hurt to start the season and then returned right as Odeyingbo went down.  They need both guys healthy and producing.    DT Grady Jarrett returns, he’s the only guy they have that they know what they are getting.  He’s solid but aging.  They traded Gervon Dexter during camp and now it’s Neville Gallimore and rookie Jordan van den Berg who will play next to Jarrett.  This team is counting on Odeyingbo and Booker to give them some more pass rush, and the defensive line could end up their downfall if this group isn’t better.   

At LB, the team cut MLB Tremaine Edmunds in a cost-cutting move and replaced him with Devin Bush.  Edmunds had his detractors, but this move is a downgrade.  Bush had a nice year in Cleveland last season, but he was playing next to Carson Schwesinger and behind a very good defensive line, he doesn’t have players like that around him here.  TJ Edwards is coming off an injury and none of the other LBs scare anyone.  At this point, their best bet for an upgrade is for rookie Keyshaun Elliott to really emerge.

The secondary is one place they probably upgraded overall but again, they need guys to be healthy this year or their upgrades at safety won’t matter.  CB Jaylon Johnson is a legit CB1 when he’s healthy, he wasn’t healthy last year.  CB Tyrique Stevenson was banged up too and he’s a roller coaster under the best of circumstances.  Nickle corner Kyler Gordon is one of the best when healthy, he also missed most of last year and is now in a bit of a contract dispute.  Coby Bryant was brought in to give them a different look at safety and he’s smaller but quicker than the guys they had last season. He got hurt during camp so they signed veteran castoff Xavier Woods as a fill in.  Rookie Dillon Thieneman will inject a level of athleticism at the other safety spot they can really use.  If the CB group and Bryant are healthy, this secondary can be scary good, if not, this defense could fall apart quickly. 

Green Bay Packers

The Packers finished second in the division last season because they went 9-7-1 and both Minnesota and Detroit went 9-8, that’s how close this division was last year.  The Packers made no significant additions on offense, and they are counting heavily on two WRs who have had injury issues and two offensive linemen who are taking over new positions.  The defense is hoping to get Micah Parsons back healthy and they’re counting on that and a new defensive scheme and coordinator to fix their issues on that side of the ball.

The Packers have Jordan Love at QB, and he’s been good for them, but his WR group thinned out this off season with Romeo Doubs leaving in free agency and they traded Dontayvion Wicks.  That puts some extra pressure on Christian Watson and Jayden Reed to be healthy this season and for Matthew Golden to live up to his draft position.  There’s talent there but the depth is gone.  TE Tucker Kraft is also a special talent but he’s coming off a season lost to injury and they need him to be a playmaker.  They did sign Jonnu Smith to give them another pass catching TE who can take some of the early season pressure off of Kraft as he gets back to it.   

The offensive line is going to be shuffled a bit after Rasheed Walker wasn’t re-signed.  Jordan Morgan will take over at LT, and second-year man Anthony Belton is slated to move to the RG spot full-time.  Morgan played a little at LT, but he’s moved around on the line mostly and hasn’t been a full-time LT since his college days at Arizona.  RT Zach Bako-Bewele (formerly known as  Zach Tom) is a good player but he’s been banged up at times, and they need Aaron Banks to live up to his big contract at LG.  Sean Rhyan played well enough at C to get a new contract there and that’s a positive. 

The running game was supposed to be in the capable hands of Josh Jacobs, however, he had an assault incident over the summer and he’s starting the season on the Commissioner’s exempt list.  That means he’s suspended with pay until his criminal case plays out.  Marshon Lloyd is supposed to be ready to step in, he’s looked good in training camp and he’s healthy, for now.  Jacobs’ suspension and Lloyd’s prior health issues led the Packers to trading for Kaleb Johnson from Pittsburgh.  Johnson has been buried on the Steelers depth chart but he’s perfect for the Packers scheme and if he gets a chance to play, he could be a player for them. 

Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley got the head coaching job in Miami, and the team is making the switch to former Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon as the new DC.  He won’t run a system exactly like Hafley’s and that could be a good thing. 

They need Micah Parsons to get back healthy this season if they want any chance of being a top-level defense.  He’s the straw that stirs the drink regardless of the defensive scheme.  They traded Rashan Gary to Dallas and lost Kingsley Enagbare in free agency which means they need Lukas Van Ness to step up on the edge.  They signed DT Javon Hargrave and drafted Chris McClennen to import some new size up front, and both of them will be counted on. 

LB Edgerrin Cooper played well last year but they lost Quay Walker in the middle and traded for Zaire Franklin to fill the spot.  Franklin is older and a downgrade from Walker, but they hope Cooper’s play continues to grow.  Ty’Ron Hopper and Isaiah McDuffie return as the backup LBs and give them depth. 

The secondary is really good at safety and needs some guys to step up at CB.  Keisean Nixon is supposed to be CB1 but he’s not an elite player.  Carrington Valentine gets the job done at the CB spot but again, he’s not amazing.  SS Xavier McKinney and FS Evan Williams were an awesome tandem last year, and Javon Bullard does a nice job as the nickel player.  They signed Benjamin St-Juste and drafted Brandon Cisse at CB, so they clearly understand they need better play on the outside. 

Detroit Lions  

The Lions finished 9-8 last season, and it was a disappointing season given how good they have been for a few years.  Dan Campbell took play calling duties away from his offensive coordinator during the season and then replaced him with Drew Petzing this off season.  The defense has some major injury concerns at safety and still doesn’t have a true threat opposite Aidan Hutchinson at DE.  If they can get healthy and get the offense back on track, they will compete for the division and a playoff spot. 

Jared Goff is still a solid starting QB, but he and the offense took a step back without the wizardry of Ben Johnson calling plays.  Drew Petzing did some solid stuff in Arizona but he’s not the most inspiring choice to re-establish this offense.  There is plenty of talent to work with and Goff is a much more reliable player than anyone Petzing had in Arizona.

WR Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the best WRs in the NFL even if he doesn’t always get the credit as one.  He’s one of the toughest covers in the league and can get open against just about anyone.  Jameson Williams has become a very good deep threat and has added to his game over the years and he’s not just a one-trick pony anymore, he’s a legit playmaker.  TE Sam LaPorta is a good third option in the passing game and team is hoping Isaac TeSlaa can turn his highlight reel catches into some consistent production this year. 

The run game was essentially just Jahmyr Gibbs making plays on his own as he took over most of the important snaps as the year went on.  The blocking up front was much less consistent with LT Taylor Decker being injured or banged up most of the season, an unsettled interior with C Graham Glasgow being a major downgrade at the position and two young OGs flanking him.  This year, Penei Sewell is moving to LT to replace Decker, he’s such a talent that he should have no problem making the move.  Rookie RT Blake Miller takes over Sewell’s old job, and they signed Cade Mays to take over at center.  Mays is a bigger and better player than Glasgow and was meant to stabilize the line.  Unfortunately, he sustained a wrist injury that is going to keep him out for months.  Juice Scruggs was thought to be a throw-in from the David Montgomery trade to Houston but now, he’s a starter.  Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany are good young guards who just need time to develop their game. 

The defense will once again be led by DE Aidan Hutchinson up front.  Hutchinson is one of the better DEs in the league and gives everything he’s got on every play.  They have a new cast of characters opposite him at DE.  Tyler Lacy is set to start with veteran DJ Wonnum and rookie Derrick Moore also added to the mix.  Unless Moore really steps up, this is similar to other groups of guys they have run out opposite Hutchinson, that’s not a good thing.  At DT, they are hoping Alim McNeil can return to form, he was underwhelming last season when he wasn’t hurt.  Tyliek Williams will be the other DT, and they hope he’s better in his second year.  The X factor could be Levi Onwuzurike, if he’s back from his injury, he can add some juice to the front four.    

At LB, Jack Campbell has become one of the best LBs in the league and is a true difference maker in the middle.  His job got a lot harder when the team lost Alex Anzalone in free agency and their big fix was signing Devin White, a guy the Raiders didn’t want back.  White hasn’t been good in a while but he’s probably a better option than Malcolm Rodriguez or rookie Jimmy Rolder.  Derrick Barnes is a solid third LB, but Campbell is going miss Anzalone and so is this defense. 

The secondary was a mess last season with the inconsistency at CB and the injuries at safety.  DJ Reed was supposed to be a replacement for Carlton Davis, but he was hurt for about half the year.  Terrion Arnold was also unreliable and now he’s gone after his off-season trouble (it’s a crazy story).  At this point, either Rock Ya-Sin or maybe rookie Keith Abney II will start opposite Reed, those aren’t great options.  Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are one of the most talented safety duos in the league but both of them are coming back from major injuries.  If they get back healthy it will go a long way towards this defense being not terrible, if they miss time, things could get dicey. For now, Avonte Maddux and Chuck Clark are set to start until Branch and Joseph return, that’s a massive downgrade.   

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings went 9-8 last season with some of the worst QB play you can possibly imagine, it has to be better this season, right?  The Kyler Murray hype is a bit much for me.  He certainly will be better than JJ McCarthy was last year but I’m just not a believer in Murray as a winner.  He’s had multiple injuries over a number of different years, and I wonder about how it will affect his overall athleticism.  His athleticism is the thing that separates him from others.  If he has to win mostly from the pocket, that gives me pause when evaluating the Vikings’ outlook.

Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and the newly signed Jauan Jennings make for a nice trio of WRs, and TJ Hockenson is a good TE when healthy.  They will all benefit from Kyler Murray playing instead of McCarthy.  Even if Murray isn’t the athlete he once was, he’s still an upgrade over McCarthy.  I don’t think the ceiling is as high as many are making it out to be because Murray still is a limited player because of his size and inconsistency.  The rest of the offense is going to have to help carry the load. 

The offensive line can be awesome if LT Christian Darrisaw and RT Brian O’Neill are healthy, but that’s a big if.  Darrisaw is one of the most underrated LTs in football when he’s healthy, he’s fantastic.  He just seems to get banged up every year.  O’Neill is very good on the right side but he’s about to be 31 and the wear and tear is starting to catch up with him.  LG Donovan Jackson is good, but again, another guy who missed some time.  C Blake Brendel stepped in when Ryan Kelly was hurt last year and now Kelly is retired and it’s Brendel’s job.  He did a solid job and the Vikings are rolling with him.  RG Will Fries is still good but not as good as his peak with the Colts. 

The running game is once again going to be handled by Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason.  Neither one set the world on fire last year and some of that had to do with a less than effective passing game.  They hope Murray can give them more of a threat and open some things up, but Jones is 31 and doesn’t have the juice he once had.  Mason has been a grinder his whole career, but his best year was playing for Kyle Shanahan and that can make any RB look better than he might actually be. 

The Vikings defensive line underwent a major overhaul with Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen sent packing and team drafting Caleb Banks in round one and Dominique Orange in round three at DT.  Jalen Redmond was a pleasant surprise last year as was Levi Drake Rodriguez but that is a lot of youth to count on.  Two third-year players and two rookies up front means not a lot of experience to work with. 

The LB corps is the opposite of the front four, three out of four starters are 30 or older.  ILBs Blake Cashman (30) and Eric Wilson (will be 32) were a solid duo last year but the cliff could come at any moment.  OLB Andrew Van Ginkle (31) is the type of hybrid player Brian Flores loves, and he’s been great for this defense.  They traded Jonathan Greenard in a cost cutting move and to give Dallas Turner the full-time job opposite Van Ginkle.  Turner can be a breakout player, but it leaves them short on the depth chart behind the starters.  Rookie LB Jake Golday is penciled in to be a backup ILB, but Brian Flores is going to like Golday’s versatility, and I wouldn’t pigeon-hole Golday just yet. 

The secondary will likely be without SS Harrison Smith for the first time since the Reagan administration, it seems he may finally be retiring (I’m not 100% sold he’s done yet, but it looks that way).  That leaves Josh Mettelus, Jay Ward, and Theo Jackson as the three-safety trio Flores likes to use.  Flores will scheme them up to be fine but it’s not an overwhelming group.  CB Byron Murphy has been great for Flores and Isaiah Rodgers was a good value signing last year for them.  They went after another value signing this year at CB with James Pierre and I’m not going to doubt that Flores will get the absolute best out of this trio at CB.  They are going to need Flores to scheme up this entire defense as they rely on a lot of youth up front, some aging guys at LB, and a group of unspectacular players in the secondary. 

Detroit Lions

The Lions went 15-2 last season but came up short in the playoffs and now they have to replace both their offensive and defensive coordinators along with a number of coaches on the staff.  Dan Campbell hired John Morton to replace Ben Johnson at OC and promoted LB coach Kelvin Sheppard to replace Aaron Glenn as DC.  The roster returns almost every key piece and that will help the transition. 

QB Jared Goff comes back as the steady piece of the offense but he will have John Morton calling plays and a new guy, David Shaw (passing game coordinator), in his ear.  Losing Johnson and coaches like Tanner Engstrand, Antwaan Randle-El, and JT Barrett will put more on Goff to keep the offense on track.  Mark Brunell returns as QB coach and Hank Fraley is the offensive line coach and run game coordinator, that’s good news. 

Amon-Ra St. Brown returns as the alpha dog of this pass game, he’s incredibly productive.  Last season, they finally got Jameson Williams to be the type of playmaker they hoped he would be.  It’s up to Morton, Shaw, and the others to keep him progressing.  They have TE Sam LaPorta as arguably their second-best pass catcher although he had a bit of a down year last season.  With St. Brown, Williams, and LaPorta, they don’t have a huge need for more production from the pass catching group but they hope either Tim Patrick can stay healthy this season or rookie Isaac TeSlaa steps up for the third WR spot. TeSlaa has had an excellent preseason and it’s just a matter of time before he passes Patrick. 

Fraley is one of the better offensive line coaches in the league and some teams looked at him pretty hard for their OC job.  He returns to Detroit with the run game coordinator title and they will need some help from him keeping the offense running.  Jamyr Gibbs broke out last season and showed he can be a top-level RB and David Montgomery can still be productive. 

The offensive line has been top-notch for years but that will be put to the test this season.  LT Taylor Decker is still as solid as they come and RT Penei Sewell is arguably the best RT in the league who isn’t Lane Johnson.  The interior of the line is the question.  C Frank Ragnow retired this summer and Kevin Zeitler left in free agency.  The team drafted Tate Ratledge knowing they would need him with Zeitler leaving.  That also means they are counting heavily on Christian Mahogany’s development as a second-year guy.  Graham Glasgow was the LG last year and struggled, they are moving him to center to step in for Ragnow.  Glasgow isn’t great at center but for now he’s a better option than trying to teach the rookie Ratledge a new position before he’s even played a snap in the NFL.  They are dangerously thin on the line and the interior of the line is compromised and could be their Achilles heel. 

The defense is also changing the coordinator as Kelvin Sheppard was promoted to DC when Aaron Glenn took the Jet’s job.  Sheppard knows this defense well and these players so it should be a simpler transition.  The defense will be built around the talent of Aidan Hutchinson as he returns at DE from his season ending injury.  He should be 100% for the season but he needs some help off the edge.  The team has been trying to find a suitable complement at DE and they are running it back with Marcus Davenport, who missed almost all last season after signing with them.  They may need to look to re-sign Za’Darius Smith if Davenport doesn’t hold up again.  AT DT they still have DJ Reader and Alim McNeill is returning from injury too.  They drafted Tyliek Williams so he steps in as a starter until McNeil is ready.    

The LB corps feature Alez Anzalone, Jack Campbell, and Derrick Barnes, assuming they are all healthy.  That’s an assumption that could prove untrue but they are solid if those guys are playing.  The secondary just re-signed S Kerby Joseph to a massive contract and he and Brian Branch are an excellent duo at safety.  CB DJ Reed was signed to replace Carlton Davis.  Reed is more of a CB2 so they are clearly hoping Terrion Arnold ascends to the CB1 spot in year two.  Amik Robertson is the nickel with Rock Ya-Sin and Avonte Maddox as depth pieces. 

The Lions will be good once again but the coaching staff changes, the interior offensive line issues and the health on defense are all reasons to question where this team ends up.  The NFC North is not for the faint of heart and if this team’s performance slips even a little bit, all three teams in the division could give them trouble. 

Green Bay Packers

The Packers were 11-6 last year and they return everyone of consequence and have added a few key players.  Matt LeFleur is one of the better coaches in the NFL and his staff is intact for the most part so they are counting largely on the development of their younger players to help get them over the hump in the playoffs.  It all starts with QB Jordan Love.  He’s a truly talented player who they need to stay healthy and he should be entering his prime.  He’s already dealing with a thumb issue and they hope it doesn’t hamper him all season.    

The Packers have a bevy of young WRs to like but they don’t have that one ace they can count on when the chips are down.  For the first time in about a quarter century they invested a first-round pick in a WR, Matthew Golden.  He wasn’t my favorite prospect but it’s easy to see how he fits their needs. Christian Watson has been their only real deep threat for the past few years and he’s been inconsistent and is coming off an injury.  Golden can be that guy instead and really complement Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs.  It also means counting less on Dontayvion Wicks, he’s a guy with suspect hands.  The TE position is in good hands with Tucker Kraft really breaking out last season and Luke Musgrave is good when he’s healthy. 

RB Josh Jacobs pretty much carries the running game on his back at this point until they can get something out of MarShawn Lloyd, he’s already banged up.  Jacobs fits the scheme quite well and while he’s only 27, he’s got a lot of carries on his legs.  It would be helpful if Lloyd could take some of the load.  The running game should be aided by the addition of LG Aaron Banks.  The team spent big to bring him in as a free agent and he allows them to move Elgton Jenkins to center.  Jenkins is an upgrade at center over Josh Myers assuming he agrees to move to center.  Jenkins didn’t seem thrilled about the possibility after Banks was signed.  LT Rasheed Wallace is a decent starter and RT Zach Tom is a good starter on the opposite side.  The team should be hoping Jordan Morgan wins the RG job after they drafted him in round one last year but they are also getting him time at LT.  Wallace is in a contract year and they just gave RT Zach Tom a contract extension so Wallace is probably a free agent next off season.    

Jeff Hafley took over the defense last year and transitioned them to more of a 4-3 base defense and while they weren’t elite, the defense was pretty good.  DEs Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness are penciled in to start.  Gary is an accomplished player who had 7.5 sacks last year. They would like a little more out of him but it’s Van Ness who really has to step up.  As a former first-round pick, he needs to give them more than three sacks.  They aren’t that deep on the edge so fourth-round pick Barryn Sorrell has a chance to play.  The DT rotation has Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, and Karl Brooks after TJ Slaton left in free agency. Those guys are solid on the inside, it’s the edge that needs better production.   

The LB corps still has Quay Walker but they are going to be playing Edgerrin Cooper more.  Isaiah McDuffie and Ty’Ron Hopper will fill roles too.  Walker is coming off an injury and needs to steady his play if he wants to continue to play.  The secondary has Xavier McKinney at SS and then there are questions all around.  Evan Williams stepped in at safety as a rookie and played well and they hope their other rookie from last year, Javon Bullard, becomes their full-time nickel.  The team finally cut Jaire Alexander at CB but that leaves them with an unproven group at CB.  Keisean Nixon played well last year on the outside but he came up as a nickel corner and doesn’t have a long track record on the outside.  They signed Nate Hobbs to be the other CB; he’s also mostly been a nickel.  Nixon and Hobbs on the outside is tenuous at best.  Carrington Valentine is the other option. 

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are coming off an incredible 14-3 season where they finished one game behind the Lions in the division.  Head coach Kevin O’Connell is known as a QB savant and that reputation was only enhanced by the season Sam Darnold had under O’Connell.  Darnold was great until the last couple of games of the year and that’s why they didn’t re-sign him.  O’Connell will look to work his magic with JJ McCarthy this season.

After sitting out his rookie year with a knee injury, it’s McCarthy’s job now and he steps into an even better situation than Darnold had.  Justin Jefferson is arguably the best WR in the game, it’s either him or Ja’Marr Chase.  Jordan Addison is a great second WR and the team has TE TJ Hockenson, who should only be better another year removed from his ACL injury.  That’s three top receiving options for McCarthy.  The problem is that Addison is suspended for the first three games of the season, Jefferson is dealing with a hamstring injury, and even Jalen Nailor is banged up. Nailor isn’t the best option at WR3 even when healthy which is why the Vikings pulled off the much talked about trade for Adam Thielen. Thielen is a Vikings legend and now he returns to the team. He’s still a productive player even at 35 and he’ll be a reliable target for McCarthy.

The team also went into the off season intent on fixing their interior offensive line issues and they certainly succeeded.The offensive line was abysmal last year on the interior so we have wholesale changes this season. C Ryan Kelly and RG Will Fries were signed as free agents from Indianapolis and the team drafted LG Donovan Jackson in the first round of the draft.  Adding those three to LT Christian Darrisaw, one of the best LTs in football, and RT Brian O’Neill, a very good player himself, and you have an excellent offensive line.  Aaron Jones returns as the main RB but Jones is 30 and he gets banged up.  They didn’t have a great option behind Jones so this off season they traded for Jordan Mason from San Francisco.  He was a very effective back when he played in place of Christian McCaffrey last year, he’s an upgrade to the unit. 

Brian Flores is a defensive mastermind and O’Connell lets him do his thing on defense.  Last year it took some Flores magic to cover some of the holes in the defense so this year they got him a little more help.  The DT position was rough last year so they signed veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.  Those two are probably upgrades but there are some questions given they are aging players coming off injuries.  Allen probably still has something left in the tank but Hargrave is 32 and it’s not clear he’s going to be the guy he once was.  These two are a big bet that this team needs to pay off.  Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel proved to be excellent additions last year as both guys had double digit sacks.  If they can get last year’s other first-round pick, Dallas Turner (the non-McCarthy pick), to give them anything as a third pass rusher, it takes the defense to a different level.  Ivan Pace Jr. and Blake Cashman are good ILBs who have the skills Flores likes from his LBs.  Pace Jr. was especially affective for Flores. 

The secondary is where things could go wrong for this group.  They re-signed CB Byron Murphy, he’s become a Flores favorite but they are still a bit thin at CB.  Isaiah Rodgers was signed as a free agent to replace Stephon Gilmore.  Rodgers is a lot younger but way less accomplished.  He takes one outside CB spot.  Murphy does some of his best work in the slot so they are hoping either Mekhi Blackmon returns from injury or Jeff Okudah emerges for the other outside CB spot. Harrison Smith is 36 but still getting it done at FS while they hope Josh Mettelus can step in as a full-time player for Cam Bynum and Theo Jackson becomes the third safety. 

Chicago Bears

The Bears could be one of the most improved teams this season over last year and could still finish last in this division, it’s that tough.  They were six games worse than the third place Packers in the division last season.  Ben Johnson and his new coaching staff are probably worth three or four more wins alone after the debacle the end of the Matt Eberflus era was last year.  Johnson is one of the smartest offensive minds in football and he was smart enough to hire Dennis Allen to run his defense.  Allen has proven he’s not a great head coach but he’s also proven he’s a master defensive coordinator. 

Ben Johnson’s most important job is getting QB Caleb Williams to live up to his incredible talent.  Williams has skills that could make him one of the better QBs in the league, but he has to harness those skills in an effective manner.  Johnson can design an offense to highlight Williams and find the best way to use the talent around him, and there’s plenty of it.  WR DJ Moore is a legitimate WR1 in the NFL.  His usage last year was confusing but Johnson will fix that.  WR Rome Odunze is one of the most physically gifted WRs you’ll see, Johnson won’t squander that skill.  They signed Olamide Zaccheaus to be the slot guy and then stumbled into Luther Burden III in round two of the draft, Burden is a playmaker.  TE Cole Kmet is a weapon but rookie TE Colston Loveland might be an upgrade in the passing game. 

The offensive line was the biggest personnel issue last season and it was the interior that was the issue.  The team traded for LG Joe Thuney and RG Jonah Jackson and then signed C Drew Dalman in free agency.  If those three guys are all healthy and playing, that’s a significant upgrade inside.  LT Braxton Jones needs to be healthy and needs to improve. They have spent most of training camp trying to find a different LT but it looks like Jones is still the best bet.  RT Darnell Wright is solid and should benefit from Ben Johnson’s offense.  At RB, D’Andre Swift is the most likely starter and Rochon Johnson shouldn’t be forgotten.  However, rookie seventh rounder Kyle Monangai has really stood out in camp and the coaches love him.  I think he’s going to be the guy by the end of the year. 

Dennis Allen will run the defense and this group should work well for him. DE Montez Sweat isn’t the speed rusher off the edge you typically think of for the top edge guy but Allen prefers big, power DEs.  The team signed Deyo Odeyingbo because he’s also a big power end like Sweat.  This team’s pass rush will come from pushing the pocket more than beating teams off the edge.  At DT they are hoping for development from Gervon Dexter, a talented young player.  They also inexplicably signed Grady Jarrett to a fairly expensive contract.  It’s the one major move that I questioned from the off season but Jarrett is a pro’s pro and the team needs that for sure.  Andrew Billings is still around and they drafted Shemar Turner so hopefully for the Bears, if Jarrett doesn’t pan out on the field, they can cover. 

At LB, MLB Tremaine Edmunds is an expensive player but he’s been solid for them since they signed him as a free agent.  TJ Edwards was brought in at the same time and he’s a good LB too.  They mainly used two LBs last year and if Allen wants to use three, he may have to look to rookie Ruben Hyppolite II because there’s not a lot of depth. 

Mostly they used nickel so they use five defensive backs because they have a strong secondary. CB Jaylon Johnson may not be in the top, elite tier of CBs but he’s the next level down from them.  Tyrique Stevenson has had some ups and downs in his short career but he’s got talent.  If Allen can get him straight, they should be fine.  Nickel back Kyler Gordon is one of the best at that position in the league.  Safeties Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard are a solid duo.  Brisker is a guy who could still get a little better and be one of the better safeties in the game.  Byard is an older veteran who just knows what to do.