Bob McGinn's All-NFC North Team: Defense/ST
Scouts across the NFL weigh in on everybody in the North. Our Bob McGinn analyzes in full. In retrospect, yeah, the Green Bay Packers really missed Micah Parsons down the stretch.
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Our Pro Football Hall of Fame scribe chats with personnel men across the league to bring you unvarnished analysis of the NFC North.
By Bob McGinn
The winds of change whipped through the NFL in the last few months everywhere, that is, except in the NFC North Division.
Front office, head coach and quarterback hold the levers of power in pro football. The constant upheaval caused by impatient ownership hasn’t been a factor of late in the old Black and Blue group.
This division hasn’t had a new general manager since January 2022 when Ryan Poles took over for Ryan Pace in Chicago and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah replaced Rick Spielman in Minnesota. In January 2021, Detroit hired Brad Holmes to succeed Bob Quinn. Green Bay promoted Brian Gutekunst to assume the duties of the late Ted Thompson in January 2018.
While the GMs have a combined 21 years of experience in their present positions, the head coaches have 17 years: Matt LaFleur (seven) in Green Bay, Dan Campbell (five) in Detroit, Kevin O’Connell (four) in Minnesota and Ben Johnson (one) in Chicago.
The NFC North teams had no reasonable reason to make a coach change seeing that all four have winning records that include at least one division title.
Just seven years in, LaFleur is tied for fourth in NFL coaching seniority behind Andy Reid, 13 years in Kansas City, and Sean McVay of the Rams and Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers, each of whom have nine seasons in their present posts.
Campbell’s five years are tied for sixth most with their current team. O’Connell’s four years are tied for eighth most.
Every one of the eight divisions was hit by at least one of the NFL’s 10 coaching changes for 2026 except the NFC North.
As for the quarterbacks, Jared Goff, Jordan Love and Caleb Williams all could be considered the most vital player on their teams. The Vikings can’t be sure about J.J. McCarthy but at least he was their first-round draft choice and has substantial room to grow.
Such rare stability is one important reason why the NFC North owns the best overall record over the last three years. It’s also a possible reason why the four teams were so evenly matched this season and could remain so in the foreseeable future.
The Packers extended their control of the division not long ago by winning three straight titles from 2019-’21. Now they haven’t won one in four years.
“It all comes down to beating everybody in the NFC North,” Love said after the wild-card playoff loss to the Bears. “We’ve got to find ways to get back after it and improve, and I think it starts with trying to win the NFC North. We’ve got to do that.”
In 2022, the Vikings captured their first division crown in five years with a 13-4 record before crashing six games to 7-10 the next year.
Detroit, which hadn’t won a division championship since 1993, rolled to back-to-back titles in 2023-’24 before rampant injuries, coordinator changes and diminished performance sent them falling to the cellar in 2025.
The Bears pulled off an unexpected worst-to-first run this season for their first title in seven years. A few days after the divisional playoff loss to the Rams in overtime, Johnson painted much the same picture for the future as Campbell, his former boss, had done in Detroit more than once.
“There is no building off of this,” said Johnson. “We’re back at the bottom again, and that’s really all 32 teams. If you feel otherwise, you’re probably missing the big picture.”
The All-NFC North team that I compiled after consultation with scouts reflects just how slim the margins are among the four members.
Look at the 22 first-team picks. The fourth-place Lions led with eight followed by the Packers and Vikings, each with five, and the first-place Bears with four.
Look at the 22 second-team choices. This time, the fourth-place Lions finished last with one behind the Vikings (eight), the Bears (seven) and the Packers (six).
Add up the 44 first- and second-team selections and it’s clear none of the NFC North clubs can be said to have the best roster. The overall totals were 13 for the Vikings, 11 for the Bears and Packers, and nine for the Lions.
Asked to handicap the division next season, one scout summed it up thusly: “I don’t see that division being anything but a dogfight.”
Here is a position-by-position look at the defense and special teams in the NFC North.
Part 1 of the series (offense) was at Go Long last week.
Ty & Bob Pod is always accessible to paid subscribers. Here are our latest eps on the Bears’ loss to LA and the Packers’ loss to the Bears.
ALL-NFC NORTH TEAM
DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE
1. JALEN REDMOND, Vikings: Last season, Redmond ranked a lowly 10th on this list. “The best, most consistent player that came on all year was Redmond,” said one scout. “He was really good this year.” Played at Oklahoma and was undrafted. Went to training camp with Carolina in 2023. Played four games the following spring in the UFL. Played 208 snaps behind Jonathan Bullard, Harrison Phillips and Jerry Tillery in 2024 before emerging as the Vikings’ top big man with 793 snaps this year. “He’s their best lineman,” another scout said. “He’s a natural 3-technique, and that’s how he plays. He’s very disruptive. He gets into the gaps quick. He can put pressure on the quarterback. He runs down plays in the running game. He’s got a legitimate chance to be in the (Pro Bowl) at some point. He’s not a zero, 2 or a 4. He can’t two-gap to be successful. He’s a 3.” In 2023, he was 6-2 ½ and 292 and ran 4.86.
2. GERVON DEXTER, Bears: He led the Bears’ big men in snaps (665), tackles (43), sacks (six) and quarterback hits (11) while tying Andrew Billings for the lead in tackles for loss (six). “He’s got pass rush inside for a tall guy,” said one scout. “He does a really good job.” A second-round draft choice in 2023, he was 6-5 ½ and 314 and ran 4.97. His arms were short (32 ¼). “Below average,” said a second scout. “He’s kind of slow off the ball. He doesn’t have dominant moves. He doesn’t have an arsenal of pass-rush moves that you can use throughout a game. He doesn’t get off blocks easily or efficiently or powerfully. For where he was drafted and what he should be doing … I’m not a fan.”
3. Devonte Wyatt, Packers: Wyatt was having his best season as the Packers’ top defensive tackle supplanting Kenny Clark and T.J. Slaton when he suffered a season-ending injury in Game 12. “He played pretty well prior to getting injured,” said one scout. “Disruptive. He was fitting in well to that style of defense. He was a little bit inconsistent. Sometimes he can get rolled over in the run game. Sometimes he didn’t affect the passer as much as he should with his talent. There’s inconsistencies there with the talent.” He broke his fibula and tore a ligament in his ankle. “They really missed him,” another scout said. “He’s a talent. Strong and explosively quick. He’s grown insofar as really playing with the kind of effort you need to make a difference. He’s got enough quickness to be a threat rushing the passer. They missed his overall game. They also missed Clark and T.J. Slaton.”
4. Jonathan Allen, Vikings: Allen, who turned 31 on Jan. 16, departed Washington in March after eight seasons to sign a three-year, $51 million ($23.3M guaranteed) deal with Minnesota. He played 810 snaps, 17 more than Redmond, and made 68 tackles, six more than Redmond. Redmond had more sacks, tackles for loss, batted passes and turnover-causing plays. “He’s strong,” one scout said. “Still a good run player. Not much rush.” Allen made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and ’22. “Very unproductive,” a second scout said. “You like the leadership, you like all that stuff. But when he actually lined up and played he didn’t win many one-on-one matchups like he used to. Just line up and beat you off the ball and go make a play. He can’t do that anymore. They can’t afford to keep him.” Allen stands just 6-2 ½ but has 33 5/8 arms and ran 5.01 before being drafted in the first round (No. 17) in 2017.
5. Roy Lopez, Lions: Alim McNeill, DJ Reader, Tyleik Williams and Levi Onwuzurike all were ahead of Lopez at the start of training camp. But when McNeill struggled, Reader and Williams were mediocre and Onwuzurike missed the season following reconstructive knee surgery, Lopez surprisingly stepped up and became the team’s top interior player. “He was a great get for them this year,” one scout said. “He exceeded my expectations. He’s competitive, tough and instinctive, but he was a much better player and stouter than in the past. Not that he’s a pass rusher, but that part of his game was better than I thought it would be. He showed a little ability to get on an edge. He really excelled with the opportunity.” Drafted in the sixth round by Houston in 2021, he started 29 of 33 games from 2021-’22 and then 21 of 30 games for Arizona from 2023-’24. Despite playing 425 snaps, 158 fewer than Reader, his statistics were better in every category. Lopez will be unrestricted after the expiration of his one-year, $3.5 million ($3.33M guaranteed) contract.
6. Colby Wooden, Packers: He made 50 tackles in 17 games after totaling 37 in 30 games his first two seasons. “(Karl) Brooks played more through the blocker and Wooden around the blocker,” said one scout. “Wooden has that kind of quickness. But he gets rolled out of there. When he had to be an every-down guy, like Clark or Wyatt, teams came after him and he got rolled out of there.” Wooden was 6-4 and 283 in 2023 before being drafted in the fourth round. The Packers listed him at 273 this year that’s probably 30-40 pounds light.
7. DJ Reader, Lions: Reader probably is headed to unrestricted free agency after two seasons in Detroit and four each in Houston and Cincinnati. He will be 32 in July. “He had a really strong start to the season but by the end of the year wasn’t quite as good,” said one scout. “Maybe he wore down at the end. Still a big two-gap guy. He can really play stout. He’s becoming more of a situational guy than a true starter, but he’ll do the dirty work. He’s a tough guy and all that but at 31 you’re starting to see a little bit of (age).”
8. Grady Jarrett, Bears: A Pro Bowl pick in 2019 and ’20 during his decade with the Falcons, Jarrett moved to Chicago as a free agent in March for $42.75 million over three years ($27.3M guaranteed). In 14 games (four starts) he had 39 tackles (one for loss), 1 ½ sacks, three batted balls and eight quarterback hits. “His best is behind him,” one scout said. “I’ve been a big fan of his throughout his career. Loved his explosiveness. He was almost like a smaller Aaron Donald. But now he’s older (33 in April). He’s got a bad knee. He got hurt early in the season. He really was fighting an uphill battle since then. He’s just not giving that spark or that penetration that comes with his reputation. A real pro. Great enthusiasm. Good work ethic. It’s just unfortunate that in football your body breaks down.” In 2016, he was 6-0 ½ and 308.
9. Javon Hargrave, Vikings: He’ll be 33 in February after playing for the Steelers from 2016-’19, the Eagles from 2020-’22 and the 49ers from 2023-’24. He has 49 career sacks but only 3 ½ were with the Vikings this season. “They paid him a lot of money and they got little productivity,” one scout said. “He played way too high. He was coming off high and they just moved him wherever they wanted him to go. They can’t afford to keep him.” Hargrave (6-1 ½, 305) signed a two-year, $30 million deal ($19M guaranteed) to leave San Francisco. He finished with 537 snaps, but his playing time decreased as the season wore on largely because teams discovered Hargrave could be run at and the Vikings had to react.
10. Tyleik Williams, Lions: He played all 17 games, starting the first six and then just four of the last 11. The Lions drafted him No. 28 in April. “He’s very strong inside,” one scout said. “He hit maybe the rookie wall at midseason and his play slipped a little bit. Toward the end he picked it back up. He’s a two-gapper, not necessarily a pass rusher. He’s not going to be in there on rush downs or third down. He can be a really solid first- and second-down run player with upside as a rusher.” He had 18 tackles (two for loss) one sack, three quarterback knockdowns and four batted balls in 446 snaps. He’s 6-3 and 329, and has short arms (32).
11. Karl Brooks, Packers: He played even more snaps than Wooden (618 to 587) but made fewer tackles (28), had five fewer tackles for loss and posted one-half sack, down from four sacks in 2023 and 3 ½ in ’24. “In the past I would have taken Brooks over Wooden,” one scout said. “I think Wooden made more plays this year.” At 6-3 1/2, Brooks is one-half inch shorter than Wooden but plays taller, which caused him to struggle resisting double-team blocks. His short arms (31 ½) didn’t help, either.
12. Levi Drake Rodriguez, Vikings: A beneficiary of Hargrave’s loss of playing time was Rodriguez, whose total of 461 snaps was far more than his six in two games as a seventh-round draft choice in 2024. “He flashed a lot,” one scout said. “He’s got some quickness off the ball and can disrupt in the backfield. He got better as the year went on. To go with Redmond, he gave them some youthful legs and some aggression. He did get better.” He’s 6-2 and 300, and ran 5.01.
13. Alim McNeill, Lions: He was even less productive than Williams. In 524 snaps over 10 games, all starts, he finished with a mere 14 tackles (two for loss), one sack, three quarterback hits and one batted ball. In 2024, McNeill suffered a torn ACL that ended an excellent season. Still, he ranked as the No. 1 defensive lineman in the division. McNeill returned Oct. 20 against Tampa Bay, and his relentless, effective pass rush in that game was reminiscent of his pre-injury form. It must have been fresh legs because after that his performance was below average. “He came back less than a year later,” one scout said. “I didn’t think he was the same player. Maybe with having a healthy offseason and training camp he’ll kind of return to himself. You have to give him a little pass for not being his full self. You saw glimpses that he could still be an effective pass rusher and up-field player but you didn’t see it over the course of the season.” McNeill even played some big end in the 4-3 base defense.
14. Andrew Billings, Bears: In 511 snaps (17 games, 14 starts) he finished with 31 tackles (six for loss), one sack, no batted balls and five quarterback hits. “He’s overweight and out of shape,” one scout said. “He’s gotta be 360. He’s not a fit for a Dennis Allen-type defense. He wants guys that explode upfield and disrupt the backfield. Billings is not that. Billings is an old-school two-gapper. Hold up two offensive linemen and create a standstill and let your linebackers run free.” Chicago is his fifth team.
EDGE RUSHERS
1. MICAH PARSONS, Packers: Aidan Hutchinson had been the lead dog at this position until Aug. 28 when Green Bay traded two first-round draft choices and DT Kenny Clark to Dallas for Parsons. “It’s really close between those two,” one scout said.