The NFC North was the toughest division in football last season. It had more collective wins than any other, with its 45 dragged down by a Chicago Bears team that lost 10 in a row and justly fired its coach.

So, with all due deference to the AFC West and AFC North, the Bears, Chicago Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers have it rough being pinned together. That’s especially true after free agency and the NFL draft.

While there were some coaching losses in Detroit, a quarterback change in Minnesota and a tough star injury in Green Bay, the Bears have gotten a lot better.

On paper, anyway.

That’s all we can evaluate at this point. The main player acquisition period now is in the past, which gives us a pause in the offseason to provide a way-too-early look into how the four NFC North rivals stack up entering the portion of the year when teams actually start to, you know, practice.

Fair warning: The Bears don’t rank super high. They are slightly above the Packers, for a reason I’ll get to if you keep reading. No matter how you rank the teams 1 through 4, though, I think we all can agree this race will be tight and the win totals might be down because they all will play the AFC North in 2025 and, most importantly, beat each other up.

That’s NFC North football for you.

So, let’s get to these just-for-fun-at-this-point post-free agency and draft NFC North power rankings.

1. Detroit Lions

The Lions lost two exceptional coordinators — Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn — to NFL head coach jobs, and it will be interesting to see how big of a void that creates. Coach Dan Campbell is the glue for a talent-rich team that did the right thing and extended safety Kerby Joseph and linebacker Derrick Barnes, and also made smart free-agent signings with relatively limited resources. They’re getting healthier on defense, which will help.

So will a continued investment in the defensive line. Tyleik Williams, their first-round pick, is a run stuffer who fits what they do, and guard Tate Ratledge, a second-round selection, is a further investment in a tough offensive line.

While it wasn’t a glamorous offseason for Detroit, it didn’t have to be. It simply supplemented the star power already on the squad.

For now, anyway, the Lions remain king.

2. Minnesota Vikings

This was a tough one, considering the unknown at quarterback. Minnesota chose to let Sam Darnold walk and went with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. We have no idea how he’ll fare, but he’s a winner and a talented guy fortunate enough to play with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Minnesota also spent big on the offensive line with Will Fries and Ryan Kelly, and added Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave on the defensive front. Overall, the Vikings navigated free agency well.

They didn’t have many draft picks this year, but interior lineman Donovan Jackson, their first-round pick, should help, and third-rounder Tai Felton continues a trend of supporting McCarthy with offensive weapons.

The Vikings had a quality free-agency period, and they still employ coach Kevin O’Connell, who’s as good as they get.

3. Chicago Bears

This is a bold prediction for a team that has “won” the offseason a few years in a row, only to produce poor results. This one feels different, though.

The biggest addition is Johnson, who has set a new tone at Halas Hall and brings an offensive acumen that few others can. The Bears have given their new coach the tools to succeed, adding Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson via trades and Drew Dalman in free agency, plus tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden in the draft. If Caleb Williams plays to his talent level, the Bears will score a ton of points.

Dennis Allen is in better shape on the defensive side, with Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo added in free agency and Shemar Turner in the draft.

Despite all those strong additions, placing the Bears third in such a strong division seems bold. They have the talent and the coaching required to compete with anyone. It sure seems like they will turn a corner and could be higher on this list when the season gets going.

4. Green Bay Packers

It’s possible the Packers could be last on this list and still be playoff contenders. Jordan Love hasn’t proven to be an elite quarterback, and Christian Watson’s late-season injury hurts.

The Packers actually took a receiver in the first round, and Matthew Golden could help right away. They beefed up the lines in the later rounds, which is smart to maximize running back Josh Jacobs. The Packers were relatively quiet in free agency, but adding guard Aaron Banks was a good move, and cornerback Nate Hobbs will help.