Predicting the best NFL player on each NFC team in 5 years

NFL Future Predictions: Best NFC North in 5 years

Chicago Bears: Jaylon Johnson

Could Justin Fields be the answer for Chicago? Maybe, but I haven’t seen enough of him to crown him the future of Bears’ football, yet. The Bears’ best player now, Khalil Mack, will be 35 in 2026. Eddie Jackson is a possible candidate, though his stats took a slight hit in 2020. Let’s ride with the hot hand in rookie cornerback Jaylon Johnson.

Johnson is coming off a fantastic rookie campaign, and coaches already have higher expectations from him for next season. He deflected roughly 21 percent of the passes thrown his way, the fifth-best rate in the NFL, per NFL’s Next Gen Stats. If any player is to become the new face of the Bears’ defense, it may be Johnson.

Detroit Lions: T.J. Hockenson

Brace yourself, Lions fans. This is going to be a long rebuild. Detroit needs all the youth they can get, so adding a potential franchise tackle like Penei Sewell definitely helps. As good as Sewell can be, it’s easier to say a player like Hockenson can still be around in five seasons, let alone be the Lions’ top player. He made solid improvements in year two en route to his first Pro Bowl nod.

I expect him to make another jump this season as Detroit’s best pass-catcher. As for whether he can be their top player in five seasons, I don’t have much faith in anyone else on the Lions’ roster. For what it’s worth, their offensive line could be pretty good in a year or two. Frank Ragnow deserves more love as one of the NFL’s best centers.

Green Bay Packers: Jaire Alexander

Unless Jordan Love is the next Aaron Rodgers, Alexander seems like the easy choice here. No disrespect to Davante Adams, Elgton Jenkins or Aaron Jones, Alexander just has a better combo of youth and skill. Some may argue he’s already the best cornerback in the NFL. For all the criticism the Packers got this offseason, some people seem to forget Green Bay is in a fantastic position for the future.

Having a player like Alexander to hold down the fort in the secondary will be huge for a team that’s struggled in that area in prior years. I can see him being a Packer for a long time. The same can’t be said for Adams and Jones because running backs and wide receivers don’t stick with their teams as often as they used to. It doesn’t mean they won’t, I’d just bet on Alexander to outlast Adams and Jones for the next five years.

Minnesota Vikings: Justin Jefferson

I have a strong feeling Minnesota’s best player in 2026 will be their quarterback, whoever it may be. Until that happens, Jefferson is easily the team’s best young player. The rookie burst onto the scene in a big way by finishing fourth in receiving yards. His performance earned him a Pro Bowl nod and a spot on the AP All-NFL Second Team.

While there may be no better current options, I wonder how likely it is that Jefferson is the Vikings’ best player in five seasons. It seems like wide receivers don’t earn that distinction much anymore. Jefferson would have to be one of the NFL’s best receivers, which doesn’t seem impossible considering his impressive debut season.