With no club that stands out as particularly bad among the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears, the NFC North is expected to be among the most competitive divisions in the entire NFL this season.
At the offensive skill positions of wide receiver, running back, and tight end, all four clubs have fairly potent groups. Dan Orlovsky, an ESPN commentator and former NFL quarterback, was entrusted with assessing the skill groupings of those four teams.
To put it mildly, his rankings were somewhat intriguing. Orlovksy played for the Detroit Lions from 2005 to 2008 and again from 2014 to 2016, so he is no stranger to the NFC North. However, his rankings gave the impression that he was ignorant of the division. Look it over.
That’s true for pass-catchers, but it also holds true for running backs who intercept passes coming out of the backfield. Having said that, there is no logic at all in this list.
Very difficult to answer this question fairly bc all 4 are very good
1) I wanted 5 above avg/+ pass catchers as criteria
2) TE we’re included
3) Minn took 2 spot over Chi strictly bc JJ accounts for 2+ players hes so good pic.twitter.com/Z5vDz0VdXq— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) August 14, 2024
Actually, the list would make more sense if it were arranged in reverse. The Green Bay Packers have a strong receiving corps, no doubt about it. Since all four of the clubs in the division are most likely in the top half of the NFL, everyone in the division does. They are the worst in the division, anyway.
Luke Musgrave, Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, Bo Melton, and Romeo Doubs make for a fantastic quintet. Many teams would swap that bunch for their own. However, there isn’t a clear front-runner among that group. On a crucial third down, to whom will they turn? That is still to be determined.
Though I think the other three teams are fairly evenly matched, the Bears ought to win. DJ Moore isn’t the best receiver in the division; two top-five receivers are Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
He is still, however, the league’s top 10 receiver and a guaranteed top target. Behind him, one of the league’s greatest trios, if not the best, is formed by the incredibly prolific Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, a rookie who many believe has great potential. Cole Kmet, the tight end, is an above-average player, while Deandre Swift is capable of fielding passes from the backfield.
Both the Vikings and the Lions feature outstanding tight ends, a young, promising player in the number two spot, and exceptional players at the top of the roster. when TJ Hockensen gets back from his Minnesota injury.
Jaguar Gibbs, the running back for the Lions, would have moved the team ahead of the Vikings in our ranking had he not been hurt this week. However, they are currently about equal. This will ultimately be resolved on the field, but Dan Orlovsky’s rankings seem illogical.
