The 2025 NFL season is a few months away, and the anticipation for the start of the season is at an extremely high level.
As the NFL Network has done their player consensus Top 100 ranking each year, Windy City Gridiron’s staff has put together a roundtable over the last few seasons of the best players in the NFC North. With six contributors pitching in for this year’s roundtable, there was a strong diversity of opinions that provided for some entertaining rankings.
Before we get started, let’s set up the ground rules. Each WCG participant was asked to send their top 32 players in the NFC North. A player’s ranking determined how many points they would receive (32 points for first, 31 points for second, etc.), and the total points were added up to create the rankings.
Note: Tiebreakers will be broken by whichever player appeared on more ballots. If that total is the same, then the tiebreaker will go to whichever player received the highest ranking on an individual ballot. If that scenario also does not result in a clear winner, ballot organizer Jacob Infante will break the tie.
The rankings so far
41. Lions RB David Montgomery
42. Packers DT Kenny Clark
43. Vikings DT Jonathan Allen
44. Lions WR/PR Kalif Raymond
45. Bears WR Rome Odunze
46. Vikings LS Andrew DePaola
47. Lions LB Jack Campbell
48. Packers TE Tucker Kraft
49. Vikings DT Javon Hargrave
50. Bears OT Braxton Jones
No. 40: Packers WR Jayden Reed
Best: No. 26 (Salo)
Low: N/A (everyone else)
Last year: NR
Reed has now led the Packers in receiving yards each of the last two seasons, which just so happen to be his first two seasons in the NFL. He’s an effective deep threat who’s scored 17 total touchdowns through two years.
No. 39: Bears QB Caleb Williams
Best: No. 29 (Mongo)
Low: N/A (Salo, Leming)
Last year: No. 30
Williams stayed healthy for all 17 games, putting together an up-and-down rookie year amidst the chaos that was the 2024 Chicago Bears. With a new coaching staff and improved offensive line, the expectations should be a lot higher for him in Year 2.
No. 38: Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper
Best: No. 27 (Leming)
Low: N/A (Infante, Mongo, Wiltfong, Salo)
Last year: NR
One of the brightest spots of the Packers’ season last year was the emergence of Cooper as a defensive standout. He finished with 87 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks as a rookie, despite only starting in four games.
No. 37: Vikings OG Will Fries
Best: No. 20 (Mongo)
Low: N/A (everyone else)
Last year: NR
His season with the Colts was cut short due to injury, but Fries ranked as the fourth-best guard in the entire NFL with an 86.9 PFF grade in 2024. If he continues that level of play across a full season for Minnesota, he’ll be much higher on this list next year.
No. 36: Lions CB DJ Reed
Best: No. 21 (Leming)
Low: N/A (Mongo, Wiltfong, Salo, Orenchuk)
Last year: NR
Reed has 42 pass deflections over the last four years, and his PFF advanced coverage grade ranks fifth among all cornerbacks over the last two seasons. After successful stints with the Seahawks and Jets, he looks to bring that high level of play over to Detroit.
No. 35: Packers C Elgton Jenkins
Best: No. 24 (Leming)
Low: N/A (Mongo, Salo, Orenchuk, Zimmerman)
Last year: No. 25
A two-time Pro Bowler with versatility across the entire offensive line, Jenkins has been a core piece of the Packers’ offense in recent seasons. With the acquisition of free agent Aaron Banks, Jenkins will be kicking further inside from guard to center in 2025.
No. 34: Bears EDGE Montez Sweat
Best: No. 16 (Orenchuk)
Low: N/A (Infante, Mongo, Wiltfong, Leming, Zimmerman)
Last year: No. 9
Though dominant in 2023 with 12.5 sacks and a Pro Bowl appearance, Sweat’s production dropped to 5.5 sacks in 2024. He’s still a disruptive, physically-gifted edge rusher who can generate pressures efficiently.
No. 33: Lions DT Alim McNeill
Best: No. 21 (Mongo)
Low: N/A (Infante, Wiltfong, Salo, Leming)
Last year: No. 42
McNeill is somewhat of a question mark heading into 2025, having torn his ACL late in the season last year. That said, he’s still just 25 years old as an incoming fifth-year player who can stop the run and rush the passer at equally high levels along the interior. He should be a safe bet to bounce back.
No. 32: Packers CB Jaire Alexander
Best: No. 18 (Orenchuk)
Low: N/A (Infante, Mongo, Wiltfong, Leming, Zimmerman)
Last year: No. 10
The days of Alexander being an All-Pro shutdown corner seem to be over, as injuries have limited him to just 14 games in the last two seasons. However, he’s still an impactful player, as made evident by his two interceptions and seven pass deflections in just seven games in 2024.
No. 31: Vikings RB Aaron Jones
Best: No. 23 (Wiltfong)
Low: N/A (Mongo, Leming, Zimmerman)
Last year: No. 18
Jones managed to do what most running backs can’t: put together a productive season after turning 30. In his eighth NFL season and first with the Vikings, he ran for 1,138 yards and scored seven touchdowns from scrimmage.