The Biggest Need for every NFC North Team this Offseason
All four teams in the NFC North had eventful seasons in 2023-2024. The Detroit Lions won their first playoff game in 31 years and made it to the NFC championship game. Over in Green Bay, the Packers shocked everyone and became the youngest team in the NFL to ever make the playoffs. Their biggest rivals in the Windy City, the Chicago Bears, had a huge defensive turnaround in the second half of the season, which almost sparked a playoff push. Sadly, for the Minnesota Vikings, their season was riddled with injuries to quarterback Kirk Cousins and star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, so the team fell short of expectations.
With each team now in the offseason, it is time to look at each team’s biggest need.
Chicago Bears - Wide receiver
Photo Credit Chicago Bears
With all the questions surrounding the Bears at the quarterback position heading into the offseason, getting a second receiver for whoever the quarterback in 2024 is will be important. This past season, D.J. Moore was by far the Bears' best wide receiver, finishing the season with 92 catches for 1,364 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. The second most productive player in the Bears' receiving core was tight end Cole Kmet, who ended the season with 73 catches for 79 yards and six touchdowns. While it's nice to have a good tight end, having a second receiver from Moore who could consistently challenge the other side of the field would help the offense immensely.
The Bears could either add a wide receiver through free agency or the draft. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins will most likely enter free agency this offseason and would be an amazing addition for the Bears. While Higgins only had 656 receiving yards this season, but had over 1,000 yards in his two previous seasons. Imagine pairing him with Moore. Those two could cause defenses problems. If they can't sign Higgins, then the draft is filled with wide receivers for the Bears to draft, such as Rome Odunze or Malik Nabers. If the Bears end up not coming out of this offseason with a second receiver, then it will be a huge disappointment.
Detroit Lions - Cornerback
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Saying the Lions need to add a cornerback this offseason is stating the obvious. However, it still needs to be said. During the 2023-2024 season, the Lions' secondary, specifically their cornerback play, was god-awful. Cameron Sutton, who is listed as the team's No.1 cornerback, let receivers gain an average of 14.6 yards a catch this season. That shows that every team knew where and who to attack on the Lions' defense. While Sutton may have been the worst cornerback on the Lions this season, none of their other cornerbacks were much better, as they all allowed at least ten yards per catch this season. There could be a real argument made part of the reason the Lions blew the 17-point lead in the NFC Championship is because of their weak cornerbacks. Any additions the Lions make at cornerback this offseason will only improve that group heading into next year.
Green Bay Packers - Pass Rusher
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This may seem like an odd need for the Packers, as they have big names across their defensive line. However, players such as Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary haven't had high production in recent seasons. Over the past two seasons, Clark has had 11.5 sacks ( 7.5 in 2023 and 4 in 2022), and Gary has had 15 sacks ( 9 in 2023 and 6 in 2022). Both these players are being paid big money to create havoc in other teams' backfields, and that hasn't been happening. While some of that could be blamed on former defensive coordinator Joe Barry not utilizing his players correctly, at some point, if a player is truly a stud, they can outperform that. That hasn't been the case for Packers players on the defensive line, and that's why bringing in fresh blood at pass rusher is a must for them this offseason.
Minnesota Vikings - Cornerback
Photo Credit: Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are definitely an interesting team in terms of offseason needs. While their offense struggled to be consistent during the 2023-2024 season, much of that was due to poor quarterback play from backups. However, that does not mean they don't have issues to fix on offense, such as finding another productive running back or bolstering their offensive line.
Yet, the Vikings have much bigger needs on defense. The Vikings need to find keystone players at all positions since their two best defenders, defensive end Danielle Hunter and safety Harrison Smith, are both over age 30, and their search needs to begin with cornerbacks. This season, their two starters, Camryn Bynum and Akayleb Evans, both allowed more than 10 yards per catch on average. Now, those numbers may be inflated since the Vikings' defense was first in the NFL this season in blitz percentage at 51.5% per Pro Football Reference. That means Bynum and Evans may not have had much help in the secondary, but that's why it's important the Vikings' cornerbacks are able to cover.
The Vikings have tried to help their poor cornerback room in the past by drafting CB Andrew Booth Jr. in the second round of the 2022 Draft. However, he is yet to receive any significant playing time in two seasons, showing the Vikings may not be too high on him after all. That is why the Vikings must sign/ trade for a cornerback or take advantage of the cornerback-rich draft class this offseason.