The NFC North offensive lines went through major transitions during the 2025 offseason. Do the Detroit Lions still have the best unit in the division?
The Detroit Lions’ offensive line is going through a lot of changes this offseason, but they are far from the only team in transition among their front five. In fact, every team in the NFC North has made some drastic changes to their offensive line this offseason.
While the Lions lost their starting center and right guard—and drafted their potential future center in the second round—no one has seen more overturn than the Chicago Bears. They signed former Falcons center Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million deal, traded for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney, and also swiped Jonah Jackson from the Rams. That’s about as aggressive of an offseason as you’ll see from an NFL team.
The Vikings were also active this offseason. They signed veterans Ryan Kelly and Will Fries from the Indianapolis Colts, then drafted guard Donovan Jackson in the first round of the draft. And the Packers also went spending in free agency, grabbing guard Aaron Banks from the 49ers and making some extra shifts on the interior.
Shake it all out, and the offensive lines in the division suddenly look a lot different, and in some cases, a lot better.
The Lions have been the prototype of an elite offensive line in the NFL over the past few years, but is it time for a shift in the dynamic in the division? According to PFF, that answer may be yes. On Monday, they dropped their offensive line rankings for the 2025 season, and the Lions (ranked 13th in the NFL) were third in the division, ranking behind the Bears (fourth overall) and the Vikings (seventh).
On this week’s PODcast, we offer our own 1-4 rankings of the NFC North offensive line. We also touch on the NFL Top-100 Players of 2025 list and make some predictions for where Lions players will land this year and in the future.
Note: As a personal note, I wanted to acknowledge the change being made at PODcast host. Chris Perfett will always mean a ton to the PODcast as its founder, host, and producer for 10 years. It was his passion project, and that showed in the product, particularly on the technical side, where he put so much love into the show where others simply shrugged their shoulders. I hope you will continue to support him on social media, on his Twitch page, and via his work on Fox Sports Radio.
We are very excited to have Meko Scott fill his spot as the new PODcast host. Meko has done an incredible job building our YouTube page over the past couple of years, and I believe he’ll bring a ton of enthusiasm and knowledge to the position.
Catch this week’s episode below: