Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images With the NFL offseason coming to a close, it’s time to take a look back and see where each NFC North team stands heading into Training Camp. Last up, defense and special teams! With the conclusion of mandatory mini-camps, the NFL offseason is coming to a close. In just over a month, all 32 teams will report for training camp. While there will be a flurry of minor moves made heading into camp, most teams’ rosters are set heading into preseason action. For the NFC North, a change of power might not be apparent, but it’s arguably the most competitive division in football. Plenty of changes were made throughout the division, and because of that, we’ll take a deeper dive into each defensive unit and where they rank within the division. You can find the offensive version of this installment here. Defensive Line/Edge Rusher 1) Green Bay Packers As a whole, the defensive lines in the division aren’t exactly a strong suit. That said, the Packers stand out as having the most complete unit in the trenches. Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Lukas Van Ness flank the edges. At the same time, Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt are their primary interior pass rushers. This might not be an elite group, but it’s the most well-rounded positional group in the division and shouldn’t have many issues getting after the quarterback. 2) Minnesota Vikings No unit saw more change than the Vikings this offseason. Gone are names like Danielle Hunter, Marcus Davenport, and D.J. Wonnum. To take their places will be Jonathan Greenard, Dallas Turner, and Andrew Van Ginkle. This is still a quality group of edge rushers but the interior leaves plenty to be desired. Even in an aggressive Brian Flores defense, there’s not a lot of upside at the tackle spots. 3) Detroit Lions This group, headlined by Aiden Hutchinson has improved each year since general manager Brad Holmes took over. The quality of edge rushers behind the former Top 5 pick is still questionable, but the interior has seen a big boost over the past two offseasons. Their latest addition, D.J. Reader, should dramatically improve their ability to stop the run. Alim McNeil has also developed into an outstanding player with a high ceiling. The secondary remains the bigger question on this defense. 4) Chicago Bears The trade deadline acquisition of Montez Sweat last October has proven to be a quality addition to Chicago’s defensive line. Especially with no other proven plus-talent players. There’s some upside with this group but after losing Justin Jones in free agency, general manager Ryan Poles will be relying on upside and untapped potential if he’s looking for improvement in 2024. This strikes me as a group that could see another late camp addition or even another deadline splash. As of now, this unit is squarely at the bottom of the division. 
Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images Linebacker 1) Bears Just one offseason after spending a combined $24.5 million annually on their pair of linebackers, it would almost be an upset if Chicago’s linebacking unit wasn’t ranked at the top, right? Tremaine Edmunds was far from a one-for-one replacement for Roquan Smith but came on strong at the end of the year. T.J. Edwards outplayed his contract, and the depth behind these two should make Bears fans feel good. If Edmunds can take another step in 2024, this group will remain at the top going into next season. 2) Packers There have been plenty of changes over the last few years in Green Bay. After an impressive debut season, the Packers rewarded De’Vondre Campbell with a lucrative contract extension. Unfortunately for them, he never replicated his breakout season and was released this offseason. In his place, Green Bay drafted a pair of Day Two replacements with Edgerrin Cooper and Tyron Hopper. They’ll be in the mix to start alongside Quay Walker, who took a big step in 2023. For the first time in a while, the Packers might have a top-tier linebacking corps but development will be key with this young group. 3) Vikings Minnesota is another team that has seen plenty of change at this position in recent memory. Gone are the days of Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr. Here are the days of a little more uncertainty but plenty of youth headlined by former undrafted free agent Ivan Pace. He and Blake Cashman are expected to start in Year 2 of Brian Flores’ tenure as defensive coordinator. Behind them are names like Brian Asamoah and Kamu Grugier-Hill. This isn’t a great group on paper but the upside is there if Pace continues to ascend. 4) Lions In Detroit, they hope their former first-round pick takes a big step forward in 2024. Jack Campbell was a surprise pick for many in last year’s draft. While he showed flashes, his sophomore season will be a big key for this Lions’ defense. Alex Anzalone is a quality veteran option as their second starter, and the depth behind them isn’t bad with names like Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Derrick Barnes, and Malcolm Rodriguez. The gap between the first two names and the last two names on this list is relatively wide. Cornerback 1) Bears A few short years ago, Chicago was transitioning away from Vic Fangio’s old group and their secondary depth didn’t look great. Heading into 2024, there can be an argument for the Bears having a top-five unit here. Jaylon Johnson broke out and showed he was one of the better cornerbacks in the league. He was rewarded with a lucrative four-year deal. Third-year nickel Kyler Gordon has found a home inside and as long as he can stay healthy, he could turn into one of the better nickels in the league. Finally, second-year cornerback Tyrique Stevenson bounced back from a rough first half of his rookie year to play impressively well down the stretch. Year 2 will be big for the former Miami product. Behind them is quality depth with fellow second-year cornerbacks Terell Smith and Josh Blackwell. 2) Lions For the second straight year, Detroit has completely remade its secondary. After a rough one-year stint for Cam Sutton, the Lions quickly moved to replace him with veteran Carlton Davis. With Emmanuel Moseley still in the mix, they weren’t done when they spent their first-round selection on arguably the best cornerback in the draft, Terrion Arnold. Kindle Vildor provides quality depth behind their top three, and for the first time in a while, defensive back could be a strength in Detroit. 3) Packers Despite their efforts, cornerback has not been a position of consistency for the Packers in quite some time. There have been some good years mixed in between, but for the most part, their high-round selections have not panned out. Jaire Alexander leads this group, despite being speculated as a cut candidate earlier in the offseason. Eric Stokes has not been able to stay healthy but will have a chance to once again prove himself in a critical contract year. Keisean Nixon should get the first crack in the nickel and bring plenty of value as a returner. Last year’s seventh-round selection, Carrington Valentine is a name to watch this year. 4) Vikings Byron Murphy Jr. headlines a group of uninspiring cornerbacks for a re-tooling Minnesota defense. Behind him are Shaq Griffin and Josh Metellus. Mehki Blackmon should get a chance to compete with Griffin for the boundary spot opposite Murphy Jr. The depth isn’t great behind them, but Andrew Booth will have another opportunity to carve out a role. The ceiling for this group isn’t great, and the ceiling isn’t ideal either. Flores will have his work cut out for him when scheming around this group. Safety 1) Lions The rise of the Detroit secondary has been interesting to watch over the last two offseasons. Some of this is projection, but it’s based on what we’ve seen in recent memory. Kerby Joseph has burst onto the NFL scene with plenty of highlight reel-quality plays. It took a bit, but Ifeatu Melifonwu has solidified himself as a quality starter. The depth behind these two isn’t great, but the upside of this starting duo makes up for it. 2) Packers Wholesale changes were made at safety for the Packers this offseason. It started with a lucrative free agent deal for Xavier McKinney and continued with the second-round selection of Javon Bullard. Green Bay placed a high premium in the draft at both linebacker and safety. They spent another pair of selections on depth with Kitan Oladapo and Evan Williams. McKinney is one of the better safeties in the league, and their youthful upside keeps this group more than interesting. 3) Bears After seven seasons in Chicago, the Eddie Jackson era is over. Kevin Byard was signed to a two-year deal in his place. Much of this group’s immediate upside will hinge on what version of Byard the Bears get. If it’s the Tennessee version, they are in great shape. If not, this might be a one-and-done type of experiment. Jaquan Brisker heads into a crucial Year 3. While he’s been a solid strong safety, he needs to take the next step to be someone worth giving a lucrative contract extension to. The depth behind these two improved with the additions of Jonathan Owens and Tarvarius Moore, but it is still somewhat uninspiring. 4) Vikings Last on this list again are the Vikings, this time at the safety position. Harrison Smith is still a good player, but at 35 years old, it’s fair to wonder how much tread is left on the tires. Camryn Bynum should start opposite of him. Behind those two are disappointing Day Two selection Lewis Cine, Jay Ward, and Theo Jackson. A breakout from Cine would be ideal but seems unlikely at this juncture. https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2024/ ... ta-vikings
