The NFC North is both historically blessed and currently flush with talent. But if you’re making the best roster from the division, who makes the cut?
Anyone questioning the historical NFL presence of the current NFC North is not paying attention. The Green Bay Packers have four Super Bowl wins and 13 NFL league titles, the Chicago Bears have one Lombardi Trophy and nine league titles and, while the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings have no Super Bowls, they have five combined NFL titles.
But past titles don’t mean anything in the present, yet the NFC North is absolutely loaded with talent. It has often not been a question of if two teams from the division will make it into the NFL Playoffs but which pair of clubs will venture into the postseason.
So as the 2021 NFL season approaches, we’re going to look at the best of the best and build a starting roster using only players from the NFC North. We, of course, start with the quarterback, assuming he sticks around in the division.
Ultimate 2021 NFC North Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers (GB)
Aaron Rodgers may be a fan of Dos Equis beer because he has been the most interesting man of the offseason. While that was a terrible joke, the intrigue around Rodgers is anything but fabricated.
While Rodgers will be talked about until the Packers situation is figured out, he is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, now and in history. Rodgers joined the Packers back in 2005 but didn’t get the starting job until 2008. While his first season in the NFL wasn’t anything outstanding, it wouldn’t take him too long to establish himself as a great quarterback.
After just three years as a starter, he went on to win the MVP award, an award he has now won three times, most recently last season. Rodgers also has a Super Bowl win under his belt when he and the Packers defeated the Steelers in 2010.
In terms of what Rodgers has done recently, as mentioned, he won the MVP last year. He dominated last season, which helped take the Packers offense to a new level that ended up with Green Bay facing off against Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game. They came up short but the quarterback’s greatness is not in question. He was so good last season that he ranked 10th on the PFF50 list.
While the NFC North has some quality quarterback play with the likes of Kirk Cousins, Rodgers is simply the best in the division.
Ultimate 2021 NFC North Running Backs: Dalvin Cook (MIN), Aaron Jones (GB)
While the NFC North has only one elite-level talent in terms of quarterbacks, they have a pair of great running backs in Dalvin Cook and Aaron Jones.
The Minnesota Vikings haven’t been known for having a quality offensive line as the last high-quality player in that department was probably John Sullivan. Despite that, Dalvin Cook somehow manages to be a great running back.
Coming out of college, Cook was one of the better running back prospects coming into the draft and was a second-round pick in 2017. The Vikings couldn’t be happier with Cook as he genuinely may be one of the fastest, if not the fastest, running back in the NFL. He maximizes that by having the agility to hit any seam in the defense he sees.
If it wasn’t for Cook, Aaron Jones would easily be the best running back in the NFC North. While Cook was a well-known and highly touted running back coming out of college, the same can’t be said for Jones. He was a dominant running back in college but playing at UTEP didn’t help his cause when it came to the draft as he was a fifth-round pick in Cook’s class.
While Jones was drafted late, he didn’t let that stop him from becoming a great player. Jones has been gifted with a great offensive line but, even with that, he has shown his skill as he is one of the tougher running backs to bring down while also being a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield.
Ultimate 2021 NFC North Wide Receivers: Davante Adams (GB), Allen Robinson (CHI), Justin Jefferson (MIN)
When you traditionally think of the NFC North, you don’t think of receivers. Instead, you think of running backs, play on the line of scrimmage, and hard-nosed defense. However, the crop of receivers currently in the division is among the best in the NFL.
Heading into 2020, the NFC North had three clear dominant receivers in Davante Adams, Allen Robinson, and Kenny Golladay. But now that Golladay departed for New York, the door was left open for Adam Thielen to join Adams and Robinson as a top-three receiver in the division. Yet, his teammate Justin Jefferson may have earned the honor instead.
Jefferson joined the Vikings out of LSU last season as he was the fifth receiver taken off the board in the 2020 draft. Despite that, he was the best rookie receiver as he had the 4th most yards of any receiver last season.
Robinson, meanwhile, is easily one of the best receivers in the NFL, but the one problem he has faced the entirety of his career was the lack of a supporting cast and good quarterback. It’s fair to say that Robinson has never had a good quarterback in his career as he has had to play with Blake Bortles, Mitch Trubisky, Nick Foles and Chase Daniel. Even with that, Robinson has made the best of it and has been one of the best receivers in the entire NFL.
Allen Robinson, Justin Jefferson and even Adam Thielen could be the best receiver in almost any division except for this one. And that’s because of Davante Adams. Adams for sure has had the best quarterback of any receivers listed, but he also is the most skilled of any receiver listed as well and he proved it last year. He was one the best receivers in the NFL last season as he was uncoverable all of last year while also being a dominant player with yards after the catch.
Ultimate 2021 NFC North Offensive Tackles: David Bakhtiari (GB), Brian O’Neill (MIN)
Not only is David Bakhtiari the best left tackle in the NFC North, but he is also the best in the NFL. Bakhtiari came into the NFL as quite an undersized tackle as he ranked in the seventh percentile in height, eighth percentile in weight and 46th percentile in arm length. He’s overcome all of those perceived shortcomings to become the NFL’s best at his position.
While Bakhtiari hasn’t been a great run blocker for most of his career, he has more than made up for it in terms of pass blocking. The Green Bay bookend has some of the best feet and hands in the NFL. One of the most valuable things that Bakhtiari brings to an offensive line is the ability to dominate one-on-one against a pass rusher.
While the left tackle position was very easy to choose, the right tackle position was not nearly as easy, mainly because of the somewhat lack of talent. The current projected right tackles in the NFC North are Elijah Wilkenson, Billy Turner, Penei Sewell and Brian O’Neill. While Sewell could make me look completely wrong after this season, I’m going to go with O’Neill.
O’Neill isn’t anywhere near the level of Bakhtiari, but he is still a solid offensive tackle. While Bakhtiari is a dominant pass blocker, O’Neill wins in the run game and creates holes in the right side.
Ultimate 2021 NFC North Interior Offensive Linemen: Elgton Jenkins (GB), Frank Ragnow (DET), Cody Whitehair (CHI)
There has been a bit of a downturn throughout the NFL in interior offensive line talent. A lot of the former stalwart interior linemen like Alex Mack, Marshall Yanda, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks and Travis Fredrick have either retired or just fallen off in terms of talent. As that’s happened, they haven’t been replaced with other talents as the only great interior linemen in the NFL right now are Quenton Nelson, Zack Martin and Wyatt Teller.
While that may be true, there still is some talent prevalent in the NFC North. If Corey Linsley was still with Green Bay, we would see two Packers on this list. But with Linsley departing for LA, Ragnow is the best center in the NFC North.
Ragnow has only been in the NFL for three seasons but, in the three seasons, he’s been in the NFL he has quietly been one of the best centers in the NFL as well as one of the better run blockers in the NFL.
While the Packers lost their best interior offensive lineman, they have another quality interior player in Elgton Jenkins. While Jenkins technically plays left guard for the Packers, he also played games at left tackle, right tackle and center last year for the Packers. Regardless of where he plays, he also is one of the better interior linemen in the NFL and is quietly one of the better pass blockers.
Before you say it, yes I know Cody Whitehair doesn’t play either guard position currently. I went with Whitehair because the guards I had to choose from are Germain Ifedi, Jonah Jackson and Lucas Patrick, among other players. The good thing is that Whitehair does have some experience playing left guard while being a big presence in the run game.
Ultimate 2021 NFC North Tight Ends: T.J. Hockenson (DET), Robert Tonyan (GB)
Heading into last season, the top tight end position in the NFC North was wide open. The most likely person to take the role was T.J. Hockenson, and it’s more than fair to say that he took over that spot.
During Hockenson’s rookie year, he was solid but it was nothing to write home about. But that’s more than fair because of how long it takes tight ends to adjust to the NFL. However, Hockenson took a major jump in his second year and showed off his receiving prowess as he finished with the third-most yards of any tight end in the NFL.
While the Lions tight end emerged, he received some competition as the best in the NFC North from an unlikely player: Green Bay’s Robert Tonyan.
Prior to this past season, it’s fair to say that Tonyan was a bit of an unknown player. In Tonyan’s first two years in the NFL, he combined for a total of 14 catches. But in his third season, he exploded onto the scene and was a favorite of Aaron Rodgers and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
While Tonyan isn’t quite as good as Hockenson, the skill gap between the two players is not that big at all as both players are quality receiving options.
Ultimate 2021 NFC North Interior Defensive Line: Kenny Clark (GB), Akeim Hicks (CHI)
When you traditionally think of the NFC North, you think of play on the line of scrimmage. While the interior line has some good players, the defensive line is nothing to scoff at either.
Nose tackles are often thought of as big two-gapping linemen who eat blocks and are dominant in the run game. Plenty of players fit that mold, even in the NFC North, but Packers star Kenny Clark is more than just a run stuffer.
Clark came into the NFL out of UCLA as an athletic nose tackle who had plenty of potential. Green Bay ended up snagging Clark at the end of the first round. He had a good rookie year, but Clark took a major jump in terms of play thereafter as he was a nightmare for any center or guard trying to block him as he was a threat as a run-stopper as well as a dominant pass-rusher.
While Clark is a great interior lineman and the best one in the division, there is another quality defensive lineman in Chicago named Akiem Hicks. While Clark is a threat in both the run game as well as a pass rusher, Hicks can’t quite match the dual-threat ability. Hicks is not a good pass-rusher, but he makes up for the lack of pass-rushing skill by being a dominant run-stopper.
Ultimate 2021 NFC North Edge Rushers: Khalil Mack (CHI), Za’Darius Smith (GB)
Figuring out who was the first pass rusher on this roster was quite easy. Khalil Mack was drafted out of Buffalo by the then-Oakland Raiders. The day that Mack stepped onto an NFL field, it was clear to see that he was a different breed. In Mack’s rookie year, he didn’t rack up the sack numbers you would like to see as he only had 4.0. However, he still put quarterbacks under pressure weekly.
After spending four years in Oakland, Mack was eventually traded to Chicago where he’s continued his dominance to this day. While Mack is the best pass rusher in the NFC North and maybe the best pass rusher in the NFL, he is also a great run-stopper, making him one of the best defensive players in the NFL today.
Figuring out the second EDGE to take wasn’t quite as easy. The two pass rushers I was debating between were Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter. Both Hunter and Smith are top-tier pass rushers, but I chose Smith over Hunter because of the high-end play we saw from him in 2019
Before Smith joined the Packers, he spent most of his career with Baltimore. While with Baltimore, Smith was nothing more than a solid pass rusher. After spending four years there, he joined the Packers and turned into one of the best pass rushers in the NFL as he rarely had a bad game with Green Bay in all of 2019. Though his 2020 campaign wasn’t nearly as great as 2019, Smith showed that his first season in Green Bay was no fluke.
Ultimate 2021 NFC North Linebackers: Eric Kendricks (MIN), Roquan Smith (CHI)
If you compared the current NFL to how it was 10 years ago, the difference is night and day. With the game evolving, so have the players. Running backs are now catching more passes, tight ends are asked to be receiving threats more often, and cornerbacks are becoming increasingly valuable. But the one position that still somewhat lacks behind the rest is the linebacker.
Traditionally speaking, the linebacker’s responsibility has mainly lied in the run game while having very little responsibility in the passing game. However, as the game has evolved, the linebackers have been asked to do more and more.
Instead of only being forces in the run game, linebackers are now asked to cover tight ends, running backs, and occasionally receivers. Very few linebackers can live up to these responsibilities, though. Somehow, the NFC North has two linebackers who can.
Kendricks played his college ball at UCLA while playing a very traditional linebacker role, and that role somewhat carried over to his NFL career. Kendricks played that role in the NFL and struggled a bit in coverage for most of his career. Nowadays, though, he has evolved into a modern linebacker who can bring value to the pass coverage game.
While Kendricks was a bit of an old-school traditional linebacker at UCLA, Roquan Smith was more of a modern-day linebacker at Georgia. One of his calling cards at Georgia was his sideline-to-sideline speed and his coverage ability, which was the main reason the Bears grabbed him with the eighth pick in the draft.
Unfortunately, he struggled to show his talents fully in his first two years in the NFL. This past season, however, Smith managed to turn things around while showing off his coverage acumen and showing why the Bears selected him in the draft.
Ultimate 2021 NFC North Cornerbacks: Jaire Alexander (GB), Cameron Dantzler (MIN), Chandon Sullivan (GB)
The cornerback group in the NFC North isn’t nearly as strong as their counterparts in the wide receiver rooms. With that being said, selecting the first cornerback for this roster was not much of a challenge.
To put it simply, Jaire Alexander is incredible. He joined the Packers back in 2018 when they selected him with the 18th pick. One thing that probably caught the eyes of the Green Bay front office when they were scouting Alexander was his agility and ball-hawking prowess. So far, Alexander has proven the Green Bay front office correct as he has made things tough on just about any receiver he has faced thus far in his three-year career.
There are plenty of cornerbacks to choose from for the other spots, but none as clear-cut as Alexander. Surprisingly, the second-best cornerback in this division, at least based on last year, is Cameron Dantzler.
Dantzler was a rookie in 2020 and entered the league as a good prospect with length and footwork to give receivers fits. However, a slow 40 time and skinny frame caused some to worry about him in the long term. He proved doubters wrong, though, producing at a solid level right out of the gate as a pro.
The selection of Chandon Sullivan will likely be a surprise to many as he is not a household name. He struggled as a UDFA in one season with the Eagles before he joined the Packers and had a surprisingly good 2019 campaign. After his 2019 season, Green Bay rewarded Sullivan with plenty more snaps as he earned the starting slot cornerback job. He’s a solid player with flashes of high-end corner play.
Ultimate 2021 NFC North Safeties: Harrison Smith (MIN), Adrian Amos (GB)
Unlike at cornerback, there were a number of terrific safeties to choose from in the NFC North but this duo stood out.
Since before Harrison Smith joined the NFL, he has been a great safety. He was an outstanding safety prospect with Notre Dame and was drafted with the 29th pick in 2012 by the Vikings. Minnesota was immediately rewarded by Smith as he was a difference-maker on the back end of the Vikings defense. If you like safeties who can do it all no matter what they are asked, then Smith is your man.
If this was three years ago during the 2018 season, we would have likely seen two Bears safeties in Adrian Amos and his former teammate, Eddie Jackson. Amos left the Bears for the Packers after the 2018 season, though. And since then, Amos has been the better safety of the two. One thing that may have hurt Eddie Jackson is the loss of Vic Fangio, whose defense is notably safety friendly and has now helped Broncos safety Justin Simmons reach new heights in his career.
While Jackson struggled in Chicago, Amos has thrived in Green Bay. He has established himself as one of the premier coverage safeties in the NFL. Outside of being dominant in zone coverage, Amos also brings some value in the fact that he lines up all over the defense as he has plenty of snaps playing free safety, box safety, and even a good amount of snaps in the slot.