2. Chicago Bears
Shockingly, the Bears won the NFC North last year, winning 11 games and making it into the second round of the playoffs. With that being said, the Bears were far from perfect last year, as the defense was actually quite weak against the run and pass, but leading the league in turnovers did help that unit be functional.
The offense ranked inside the top-10 in points scored per game, so that side of the ball is and will continue to be taken care of thanks to the offensive genius of Ben Johnson. The defense is really the main thing here - the pass rush still feels weak, and the Bears are already down stud safety Coby Bryant.
Heck, if the offense gets better in 2026, all the defense would need to do is be average, but on paper, that unit still feels a bit shaky.
Still, though, the Bears won two more games in 2025 than the other three teams, so they do deserve the benefit of the doubt for the time being, and they could also have a future superstar at QB in Caleb Williams, who took a ton of positive strides last year.
I don't believe this team is the outright favorite to win the division, though, so we have them at No. 2 in our updated NFC North power rankings.
1. Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are No. 1 in our power rankings. From 2023-2024, the Lions won the division both years and ended up winning 27 regular season games. The team was 7-4 to begin the 2025 season, so they were on a pace to eventually capture the division title for a third year in a row, but the defense collapsed down the stretch.
And while that unit is still dealing with some injuries, you just get the sense that this team is hungry to get going and right what went wrong last year. Detroit has finished with no fewer than nine wins in each of the last four seasons, and have shown the ability to take ownership of this division.
They also have the best roster in the North and the best QB as of now, as Jared Goff is one of the league's most prolific passers. Sure, this ranking is also us predicting a bit into the future, but that's also something that isn't uncommon.
Detroit has the highest ceiling of any team in the North, the best roster, the best QB, and will reclaim the division crown this year.
Add us as a preferred source on Google