The NFC North was the only division in the entire NFL last season without a single losing record.
All of the Vikings, Lions, Packers, and Bears finished with at least 9 wins last season despite plenty of injury, quarterback, and coaching issues affecting each team in different ways. And once again, it's poised to be an ultra-competitive division with potential breakout players galore.
Part of the reason the NFC North was so fascinating last year was the immediate ascent of the Chicago Bears, who had one of the biggest breakout players in the entire NFL: Quarterback Caleb Williams.
Ahead of the 2026 season, we're making our predictions on which 4 players from the NFC North (one from each team) will be the top breakout candidates in the division.
Top 4 breakout player candidates in the NFC North for 2026
Chicago Bears: Luther Burden, WR
Just like Caleb Williams was a slam-dunk pick for the Bears as their breakout candidate last season, so is Luther Burden ahead of the 2026 campagin.
Burden showed some fantastic flashes as a rookie this past season, and hype is building significantly as he prepares for his second year in the league. The 2025 2nd-round pick out of Missouri finished last season with 652 yards on 47 receptions, giving the Bears a dynamic big-play threat who can be utilized at every level of the field.
It still doesn't feel fair that the Bears were able to steal Burden in the 2nd round last year after he spent nearly the entire 2024 college season being talked about as the possible WR1 of the class, or at least a 1st-round player.
Now, he could be Caleb Williams' favorite target, though he might have to share that title with tight end Colston Loveland...
Green Bay Packers: Lukas Van Ness, EDGE
The Green Bay Packers have been longing for a breakout year for Lukas Van Ness since he came into the league as a 1st-round pick back in 2023.
Unfortunately, up to this point, it just hasn't worked out at all. Van Ness has dealt with some injuries and scheme/coordinator changes, and entering his fourth NFL season, he hasn't been able to carve out a clear role on the team. With Micah Parsons on the mend to open training camp and likely the first month or two of the season, Green Bay's need for a disruptor off the edge could not be more apparent.
Van Ness is going to have to step up.
Jonathan Gannon is taking over as the team's defensive coordinator, and his scheme may be the most favorable one yet for a player like Van Ness. Not only is Parsons likely out to start the season, but the Packers also no longer have Rashan Gary or Kingsley Enagbare. The time for the Van Ness breakout is now.
Detroit Lions: Isaac TeSlaa, WR
Just what the Detroit Lions need: Another big-time playmaker for their offense.
The Lions already have one of the most enviable groups of offensive skill players in the NFL, even without David Montgomery in the mix anymore. Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown are legitimate NFL Offensive Player of the Year candidates. Both Sam LaPorta and Jameson Williams are capable of taking over games.
The last thing defenses going up against the Lions need is another player to have to account for on every snap, and Isaac TeSlaa could be exactly that.
TeSlaa only had 16 catches last season, but six of them (!!!) went for touchdowns. He's got outstanding size, contested catch abilities, and after the type of production we saw from him last year with only 27 touches, think of what he could do with triple that amount...
Minnesota Vikings: Caleb Banks, DL
One of the top breakout players frequently brought up when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings is Dallas Turner, and that's also a great pick. Turner only started 10 of the 17 games he played last season, but played 66 percent of the snaps and posted big enough numbers that I'm considering him a player who has already broken out.
Because of the fact that Caleb Banks has been labelled such a big boom-or-bust type of prospect coming out of Florida, it doesn't seem like many folks are talking about him as a true breakout star as a rookie.
And yes, there is going to be an acclimation period for Banks, who probably won't even play 50 percent of the snaps as a rookie. But you can't teach his size, length, and movement skills. With Brian Flores calling that defense, and the Vikings putting enough faith in Banks to move on from guys like Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
Add us as a preferred source on Google