All-NFC North Team, Part II: Meet the Lions' D that must stop San Francisco

Aidan Hutchinson arrived in 2023. Here's Bob McGinn's second look at the NFC North, based on conversations with execs around the NFL. (Also, what's up with Packers corner Jaire Alexander?)

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In three seasons of player acquisition and development GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell not only brought the NFC North Division championship back to Detroit for the first time in 30 years but made startling upgrades in the Lions’ overall personnel.

My All-NFC North team, selected after extensive interviews with four executives well-versed in the division, features 12 Lions among the 22 first-team selections. Ten of those 12 players were Holmes-Campbell acquisitions that rose to the top of their respective positions despite having just three or fewer years of experience in Detroit.

From the draft, the first-team picks chosen by Holmes were Penei Sewell (first round), Alim McNeill (third round) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (fourth round) in 2021, Aidan Hutchinson (first round) and Kerby Joseph (fourth round) in 2022 and Sam LaPorta (second round) and Brian Branch (second round) in 2022.

From unrestricted free agency, the first-team picks were Alex Anzalone (2021) and Graham Glasgow (2023).

From trade, the first-team pick was Jared Goff (2021).

The first-team players acquired before the arrival of Holmes and Campbell in January 2021 were Taylor Decker (first round, 2016) and Frank Ragnow (first round, 2018). Both players were drafted by GM Bob Quinn, who along with coach Matt Patricia were fired on Nov. 28, 2020.

With 12 first-team picks, the Lions easily outdistanced Minnesota, which had four, and Chicago and Green Bay, each of which had three.

Five positions on special teams also were selected. The Vikings swept three of the five categories followed by one apiece for the Lions and Packers.

Perhaps a better way to measure a team’s overall strength was to include the second-team players on offense and defense. Under this system, a first-team player was worth two points and a second-team player was worth one.

The Lions led with 27 points followed by 14 for the Bears, 13 for the Packers and 12 for the Vikings.

Here is Bob McGinn’s position-by-position look at the defense and special teams in the NFC North, based on conversations with NFL executives.

McGinn has a newsworthy item on Jaire Alexander worth your time, too. It was a strange season for the Packers’ top corner.

Miss the offense? Catch up here.

ALL-NFC NORTH TEAM

DEFENSE

Nose tackle: ALIM McNEILL (Det). Others, in order: Harrison Phillips (Minn), T.J. Slaton (GB), Andrew Billings (Chi), Benito Jones (Det), Zacch Pickens (Chi), Khyiris Tonga (Minn.)

McNeill dropped to 305 pounds entering training camp and ranked as the Lions’ second-best pass rusher. “I think he’s the most important guy on that defense,” one scout said. “When he’s not on that field they’re not good. You can take (Aidan) Hutchinson out of the game. You can’t take a dominant (defensive tackle) out of a game.” A knee injury sidelined McNeill in Games 13-16. “When he was healthy he really came on this year,” another scout said. “When he lost the weight you could see the athlete, the promise. Still an ascending player. He could be a really good player. He’s got all the ability you want.” Phillips, the former Bill, has been a productive free-agent signing. “He was their best (inside),” one scout said. “Leader, anchors well. He won’t give you much besides banging. Quickness is not part of his game.” Slaton, a fifth-round pick in 2021, made considerable strides in his first year as a starter. “Much improved,” said one scout. “Brought consistency to his game. Enormous man that can disrupt. Really good on the run. Pass? He’s pretty much just a guy.” Billings, 28, was a tough customer to displace on the NFL’s No. 1 run defense. “On run downs he was among the three most impactful players on their defense,” one scout said. “He really was outstanding playing the run this year. He definitely was better than I ever thought he’d be, but he’s only a two-down player. He doesn’t rush the passer. Off the field in sub.” Jones alternated with the departed Isaiah Buggs and then Tyson Alualu late in the season. As for Pickens, a third-round pick in April, one scout said: “I can already tell you Pickens will be in the league for a long time and will be a solid two-down run player. He’s got a little more in his body than the two-down nose tackle. His pass rush is just more effort and push. He doesn’t have the hips and feet to win consistently as an interior pass rusher.”

3-Technique: KENNY CLARK (GB). Others, in order: Justin Jones (Chi), Devonte Wyatt (GB), Jonathan Bullard (Minn), John Cominsky (Det), Josh Paschal (Det), Gervon Dexter (Chi), Karl Brooks (GB), Dean Lowry (Minn).

Clark, the 27th pick in 2016 (GM Ted Thompson’s second-last draft), has been the Packers’ best interior player for almost his entire career. “Kenny was Kenny,” one scout said. “Damn strong power rusher. Had a career high in sacks (7 ½). You know what you’re getting every week. Not a lot of guys can move him. It takes two, and even there, they’re going to struggle. Not a great player, but a good player.” Jones, the former Charger, played better in his second season as a Bear. “Great defenses have great 3-techniques,” one scout said. “The Bears need a major upgrade there but Jones, he’s solid. He’s a flash pass rusher. Little bit of a guesser in the run game. He’ll make some impact plays but he’ll also cause some gap-integrity issues by jumping around and hopping around blocks. He can play square and strong when he wants to. In a perfect world, he’s either your third DT or your fourth DT around a bunch of studs.” Wyatt, the 28th pick in 2022, increased his snap count from 224 to 552. “Is Wyatt terribly consistent?” one scout said. “No, but he will come up with plays. He’s got that sudden kind of explosiveness that you really can’t teach. He looks kind of like a chubby guy but he can get off the ball. His overall game has been better. He hasn’t put it together yet but you can tell he would.” Added another scout: “Not quite a finisher maybe all the time, especially as a pass rusher, but the skills are there to develop. We’ll see if he can take the next step next year.” Bullard logged 644 snaps to Phillips’ 839. “Bullard played well in spurts,” one scout said. “More he played the better he looked. Tough, aggressive guy. Doesn’t run well but he can hold the point. All their guys (inside) were low-money, journeyman guys.” Cominsky, a former Falcon, probably wasn’t quite as effective as in 2022. Paschal, a second-round pick in 2022, has been a disappointment although injuries have been a contributing factor. Dexter, a second-round pick in April, logged 432 snaps behind Jones. “He’s got an amazing combination of size-length-speed,” one scout said. “That ceiling is high. But he’s so inconsistent. I can put together a 20-play highlight tape and you’d be, like, ‘Holy shit, this guy’s going to be really good.’ And I can put together a 20-play tape and you’d be, like, ‘How is this guy in the league?’ He pops straight up out of his stance. On his rush he wins with sheer power and length. He can push bodies out of the way. Rarely does he win with a clean hand chop or dip his shoulder and finish at the quarterback. It looks very unorthodox, but what you can’t deny is he has shit other guys don’t have.” Brooks, a sixth-round pick in April, worked outside at Bowling Green but played strictly inside for Green Bay. “He’s got a knack for rushing the passer,” one scout said. “He knows how to get on edges and use his hands. He’s not just run into the guy, have the guy grab you and then wallow around for a while.” A torn pectoral muscle ended Lowry’s season after nine games.

Edge rushers: AIDAN HUTCHINSON (Det) and DANIELLE HUNTER (Minn). Others, in order: Montez Sweat (Chi), Preston Smith (GB), Rashan Gary (GB), D.J. Wonnum (Minn), DeMarcus Walker (Chi), Pat Jones (Minn), Kingsley Enagbare (GB), Lukas Van Ness (GB), Yannick Ngakoue (Chi), Romeo Okwara (Det).