Packers: Despite Aaron Rodgers being back and the signing of Jimmy Graham , there seems to be a lack of excitement surrounding the Packers. But for me, they are one of the leading contenders in a loaded NFC. Aaron Rodgers leads the way. His resume speaks for itself. Anyone who has seen him play and has a brain knows how amazing he is. The running backs are going to be more of a committee which is fine because both Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones flashed last year. The wide receiving core lacks depth, but people are expecting a huge year from Devante Adams. Tight end Jimmy Graham is going to be seeing a ton of Red Zone targets. The o-line is pretty solid, which is usually the case in Green Bay. The defense looks a lot better as well. Mike Daniels continues to be a stud, and the secondary looks to be immensely improved by drafting Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson. Haha Clinton-Dix roams around in the backend of the defense. I expect big things this year in a turn around year for the packers.

11-5

Vikings: The vikings are coming off an unbelievable year where they were one game away from the super bowl. They kept the core intact, and upgraded at the QB position by throwing a ton of money at Kirk Cousins. They also get running back Dalvin Cook back from injury. Cousins has plenty of weapons to work with as well. Stud receivers Adam Theilen and Stefan Diggs are both special players on the outside, and TE Kyle Rudolph is very reliable over the middle. The O-line is eh. Vikings lost offensive coordinator Pat Shurmer, and I am fascinated how this will impact them in terms of scheme. The defense is absurd. Stacked up front with studs like Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter, they bring pressure from the Edge and from the interior. The linebackers are all fast and have great instincts. The secondary is incredible, led by stars Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes. Expect another big year for the Vikings.

11-5

Lions: Every year I look at the Lions roster and find myself underwhelmed. And every year they are better then I expected them to be. A large part of it is due to Matthew Stafford. A QB that is consistently underrated, he is always the reason the Lions are in the game every time they put the pads on. The running back situation should be greatly improved if they don’t be dumb and let Kerryon Johnson be THE guy. The wide receivers don’t jump off the page, but Marvin Jones and Golden tate get the job done. The Offensive Line is also very good. The defense is inconsistent, but has a couple very good players. Darius Slay remains one of the more underrated players in the NFL. I don’t love the Lions, but I bet they are in the playoff hunt come the end of the year.

8-8

Bears: A lot of people have huge expectations for the bears this year, and while I see the potential, I have my questions. A lot of this is riding on a big jump from Mitch Trubisky, but I am in a more “wait and see” kind of mentality. He has some weapons around him that I think he can utilize very well. Jordan Howard is a safe, reliable guy to turn around and hand to 25 times a game. Newly brought in targets Allen robinson and Trey Burton should help, and rookie Anthony Miller is going to be an absolute stud. The o-line is very good, especially the interior. The defense has studs all over, led by Leonard Floyd, Akeem Hicks, and Kyle Fuller. Lots of potential all over this team. They just need to put it together.

7-9