NFC North
1. Green Bay Packers: 12-5
I might have been a year early on the Green Bay Packers hype train as the Detroit Lions were clearly the best team in the NFC North last year, but that might not be the case in 2025. The Packers are loaded on both sides of the ball with the only real question mark on the roster being cornerback, and this is a team that turned the ball over a ton defensively last year anyway. The Packers have a darkhorse MVP candidate in Jordan Love, and their weaponry got a huge boost with the arrival of Matthew Golden.
2. Detroit Lions: 12-5
We’ll see how much it ends up truly affecting them, but the Lions losing both coordinators stings quite a bit. The injuries defensively last year were a major concern, and they’re already starting to pile up for this team again. It’s hard not to like the talent on this Lions roster overall, but there are glaring weaknesses in the depth department at certain spots, and it looks like they could take a slight step back in 2025.
3. Minnesota Vikings: 10-7
The Vikings are breaking in yet another new quarterback under Kevin O’Connell, but this is the one he and the front office hand-picked together. JJ McCarthy is a tremendous game-manager who came up clutch at times for Michigan, but he’s coming off of a major knee injury and is obviously a wild card going into the beginning of the season. Still, the Vikings have enough talent to win 10 games at a minimum.
4. Chicago Bears: 8-9
The Chicago Bears are really interesting on paper at the moment. They have last year’s #1 overall pick in Caleb Williams and a ton of exciting playmakers, but do they have the type of pass rush to make a deep run this season? Can they even finish above 4th place in their own division? A lot hinges on the expected breakthrough of Caleb Williams, but Ben Johnson is a play-caller, not a puppeteer. Williams has a lot to prove in 2025.