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.
The rankings thus far
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
20. Lions S Kerby Joseph
Highest Ranking: 14 (Mongo)
Last Year’s Ranking: No. 8
Kerby Joseph only appeared in six games last year due to injury, which makes it all the more impressive he still had three interceptions in 2025. He’s allowed a sub-60.0% completion rate in coverage each of his last three seasons, and he has a career allowed passer rating of just 66.2. There are concerns about his health heading into the new year, but when healthy, he’s one of the best safeties in the NFL.
19. Lions LB Jack Campbell
Highest Ranking: 9 (Wiltfong)
Last Year’s Ranking: No. 47
Coming off the best year of his NFL career, Jack Campbell has had an eventful 12 months with a Pro Bowl appearance, a first-team All-Pro nomination, and most importantly, a big rise up these rankings. Campbell had 176 tackles in 17 games with 5.0 sacks, 9.0 tackles for a loss, and three forced fumbles. He ranked No. 3 in the NFL in PFSN LB Impact Scoring with a career high 90.7 score.
18. Vikings EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel
Highest Ranking: 10 (Orenchuk)
Last Year’s Ranking: No. 17
It’s slightly surprising we’ve gone this long without one, but Andrew Van Ginkel marks the first player to appear in all six of the WCG ballots. He had 11.5 sacks in 2024 for the Vikings, and though he missed five games due to injury, he still had 7.0 sacks last year. Additionally, his 10 pass deflections last season led all defensive linemen across the NFL. He’s an impact player in every sense of the word.
17. Packers TE Tucker Kraft
Highest Ranking: 13 (Mongo)
Last Year’s Ranking: No. 48
Before suffering a season-ending injury halfway through the year, Tucker Kraft was on pace for an All-Pro nod in 2025. His 61.1 receiving yards per game was the second-highest average among all NFL tight ends, and he led his position with a 90.9 PFSN TE Impact Score. He’s consistently improved over his three seasons in the league, and one could certainly argue that he’s not just the best weapon on the Packers’ offense right now, but one of the best tight ends in the game.
16. Vikings OT Christian Darrisaw
Highest Ranking: 9 (Mongo)
Last Year’s Ranking: No. 11
Over his last two seasons, Christian Darrisaw has missed a combined 17 games due to injury. That lack of availability is certainly a concern, but at 27 years old, he still should have plenty of good football ahead of him. He allowed just two sacks in ten games last season, and he went through games without allowing a sack against the likes of T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett, Aidan Hutchinson, and Khalil Mack.
15. Packers OT Zach Tom
Highest Ranking: 10 (Mongo)
Last Year’s Ranking: No. 19
Zach Tom has consistently improved year over year since entering the Packers’ starting lineup full-time in 2023. He didn’t allow a single sack in 351 pass-blocking reps last season, and of his three years of being a starter, his 1.3 pressures allowed per game was the lowest average he’s had in a single season. The 27-year-old has solidified himself as one of the best right tackles in the NFL.
14. Packers S Xavier McKinney
Highest Ranking: 8 (Infante)
Last Year’s Ranking: No. 9
Though his interception total dropped from eight in 2024 to two in 2025, Xavier McKinney was still an impact performer who was one of the top safeties in the league last year. Through six seasons, he still hasn’t had a single season with a missed tackle percentage above 10.0%, and he allowed a passer rating of just 63.9 when targeted in 2025. His 56.3% allowed completion percentage was also the lowest rate he’s had in a single season.
13. Lions S Brian Branch
Highest Ranking: 8 (Gooch)
Last Year’s Ranking: No. 14
The versatility of Brian Branch has been one of the biggest calling cards of the Lions’ defensive play. Splitting time in the box, in the slot, as a deep safety, and rushing the passer along the defensive line, Branch ended the year with 75 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 5.0 tackles for a loss, and nine pass deflections in 2025. Though he didn’t have any interceptions, he still allowed a completion percentage of just 56.8%.
12. Bears TE Colston Loveland
Highest Ranking: 12 (Gooch)
Last Year’s Ranking: N/A
It was a stellar rookie season for Colston Loveland, who started off slow but surely established himself as a top contributor in the Bears’ offense. Among NFL tight ends, he finished ninth with 713 receiving yards and tied for eighth with six receiving touchdowns. He only dropped one of his 81 targets, and his high level of production doesn’t even include his playoff performances, as he tallied 193 receiving yards combined over Chicago’s two postseason games. The future looks incredibly bright for Loveland, who finishes as the top-rated tight end in the NFC North across these ballots.
11. Bears CB Jaylon Johnson
Highest Ranking: 7 (Gooch)
Last Year’s Ranking: No. 6
With only seven games played in 2025 — and six of them coming at the end of the year while he was still finishing up his recovery from injury — Jaylon Johnson’s ranking this highly is influenced heavily by his Pro Bowl level of play in both 2023 and 2024. Though he allowed 17.2 yards per catch last season, he also didn’t allow a touchdown in coverage, and his 86.1 allowed passer rating was similar to the rating he allowed in his 2024 Pro Bowl campaign. Having Johnson back fully healthy should go a long way for Chicago’s defense in 2026.
