Windy City Gridiron
The 2026 NFL season is a few months away, and the anticipation for week one 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.
11. Bears CB Jaylon Johnson
12. Bears TE Colston Loveland
13. Lions S Brian Branch
14. Packers S Xavier McKinney
15. Packers OT Zach Tom
16. Vikings OT Christian Darrisaw
17. Packers TE Tucker Kraft
18. Vikings EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel
19. Lions LB Jack Campbell
20. Lions S Kerby Joseph
21. Lions TE Sam LaPorta
22. Packers QB Jordan Love
23. Lions WR Jameson Williams
24. Packers RB Josh Jacobs
25. Bears EDGE Montez Sweat
26. Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper
27. Bears S Coby Bryant
28. Bears LB Devin Bush
29. Bears CB Kyler Gordon
30. Vikings OT Brian O’Neill
31. Vikings WR Jordan Addison
32. Bears G Jonah Jackson
33. Bears WR Luther Burden III
34. Bears WR Rome Odunze
35. Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson
36. Bears S Dillon Thieneman
37. Packers WR Jayden Reed
38. Vikings LB Blake Cashman
39. Lions DT Alim McNeill
40. Lions OT Blake Miller
41. Vikings WR Jauan Jennings
42. Bears RB D’Andre Swift
43. Packers WR Christian Watson
44. Packers DT Javon Hargrave
45. Vikings G Will Fries
46. Lions CB D.J. Reed Jr.
47. Packers DT Devonte Wyatt
48. Lions G Tate Ratledge
49. Packers LB Zaire Franklin
50. Vikings CB James Pierre
Highest Ranking: 10 (Wiltfong)
Last Year’s Ranking: No. 16
A Pro Bowler in three of his last four seasons, Jared Goff’s 18,206 passing yards since 2022 are the most of any quarterback in the NFL. He’s been consistently accurate for the Lions, surpassing at least a 65.0% completion percentage every season since his arrival in Detroit in 2021. He’s also graded in the top eight in PFSN QB Impact Scoring each of his last four seasons, with 2022 being the year that Ben Johnson became his offensive coordinator. Though the Lions took a step back with the departure of...
