NFC North division predictions

 I did the NFC East last time, so now it's time to do the NFC North's predictions. This division intrigues me. Every team finished above .500 last year, and it'll be interesting to see what happens this year. Will the Bears defend their title? Will the Packers go a step further? Will the Lions stay healthy? Will the Vikings find their quarterback of the future? We'll see. Let's get into it.

1. Green Bay Packers (11-6) (3 seed)

2. Chicago Bears (10-7) (7 seed)

3. Detroit Lions (9-8)

4. Minnesota Vikings (7-10)

The Packers had a heartbreaking elimination last year, blowing a 21-3 lead to the Bears. They lost defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, who became the Dolphins head coach. They also lost backup quarterback Malik Willis to the Dolphins. They traded Rashan Gary and Dontayvion Wicks, and cut Elgton Jenkins. They hired Jonathan Gannon to replace Hafley. And they signed Javon Hargrave and Tyrod Taylor. They had a busy off-season, and I think it'll translate to success.

After beating the Packers in the Wild Card, the Bears lost a heartbreaker in the Divisional to the Rams. They traded DJ Moore to the Bills, signed Devin Bush, and traded for Garrett Bradbury. As well as drafting Dillon Theineman in round 1. Caleb Williams took a leap last year. Can he take an even bigger one this year?

The Lions had a disappointing 2025, going 9-8. Their offense was lackluster, and they missed Ben Johnson. They signed Isiah Pacheco in the offseason, but let go of Taylor Decker. They also signed DJ Wonnum and Cade Mays. They signed Josh Dobbs as a backup to Jared Goff. This team intrigues me. I am not sure if they'll be good or not, but I want them to be good, honestly. Is Dan Campbell the guy? We'll see.

The Vikings had an....interesting season last year. They started 4-8 and won 5 straight to finish 9-8. But those stats didn't tell the whole story. They had terrible quarterback play all season, whether it was JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz, or Max Brosmer, who started 1 game and threw 4 interceptions. So what did the Vikings do to add to their quarterback room? Sign....Kyler Murray. Yeah, not great. They also signed Jauan Jennings and Eric Wilson. They have a defense that could win them some games. And Justin Jefferson is one of the best receivers in the league. But the question is: Can their quarterback room lead them to the playoffs? It honestly could happen, but I'm just not convinced.

Those are my NFC North predictions. Up next: The NFC South! The most wide open division in football. That's gonna be a tough division to predict, but I think I can do it.