Death, taxes and the NFC North being competitive.

It seems Minnesota's division every season has at least two or three teams vying for the top position — and sometimes two or three teams making their way into the playoffs.

NFL.com's Nick Shook recently ranked all eight of the league's divisions and topped his list with the NFC North. He noted while "the biggest question mark resided in Chicago" this time last year, the Bears will enter the 2026 campaign "as the reigning division champion with enough optimism to build a skyscraper taller than the Willis Tower." Shook wrote:

Ben Johnson is coming off a fantastic debut season as head coach. Quarterback Caleb Williams is on the cover of Madden NFL 27. Super Bowl LX Champion Coby Bryant hopped on the bandwagon via a three-year, $40 million free-agent deal. Even if the Bears know the heart-stopping style with which they won a significant portion of their 2025 games is unsustainable, everything is looking up in the Windy City.

But Shook warned to not overlook the rest of the division, including the Vikings. He said Minnesota "has spent the entire offseason playing the 'What If' game," but if the Vikings find stability at the quarterback position, they "should be primed for a legit playoff run."

In Detroit, the Lions are looking to rebound from a 9-8 season with the help of new Offensive Coordinator Drew Petzing, who spent 2014-19 as an assistant coach with the Vikings.

Detroit won't be caught by surprise in the trenches this season, not after adding center Cade Mays to solve the issues in the interior, then signing Larry Borom and Ben Bartch as depth additions and acquiring Juice Scruggs in a deal that sent David Montgomery to Houston. Yes, this is now Jahmyr Gibbs' backfield, and hopefully, the offseason efforts are enough to get the ground game back on track. Three new defensive backs — Roger McCreary, Chuck Clark and Christian Izien — should bring the same needed depth to that side of the ball.

Shook evaluated Green Bay, noting Head Coach Matt LaFleur "willingly reset" the Packers offense and changed up the receiving corps.

It's a necessary refresh for a team that admittedly felt stale in 2025 and repeatedly failed to deliver in the biggest late-season moments (at Denver, plus two losses in Chicago). The talent remains … but the trust isn't quite there for the Packers as of now. That can change quickly.

When all is said and done? The NFC North looks poised for another close race.

At the outset of last season, three of the four member clubs were seen as legitimate threats to win the NFC North and embark on Super Bowl pursuits. The one team most didn't take seriously ended up winning the division. A battle royale awaits in the North.

Check out Shook's full division rankings here.

ESPN ranks Justin Jefferson No. 2 among WRs

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is once again rolling out positional rankings after talking to NFL executives, coaches and scouts. He explained:

Here's how it works: Voters gave their own top 10 players at a position, then we compiled the results and ranked candidates based on the number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen as well as ESPN Research.

In the wide receiver rankings, Justin Jefferson once again landed at No. 2 behind — just barely behind — his former LSU teammate Ja'Marr Chase. Fowler noted Jefferson "registered No. 1 or No. 2 votes on around 70% of the ballots, with several voters considering him a cut above the rest."

An unnamed AFC executive told Fowler Jefferson is "a proven commodity that can do everything you need and can adapt to any defensive look."

An NFC executive said choosing between Jefferson and Chase is a tough task.

"Chase vs. Jefferson is still kind of like Bijan [Robinson] and [Jahmyr] Gibbs at running back — almost like 1 and 1A," he told Fowler. "Maybe a little more big-play ability with Jefferson."

Jefferson's 8,480 receiving yards are the most for any player in his first six seasons in NFL history. His six straight 1,000-yard campaigns tie Randy Moss for second in franchise history (Cris Carter is first with eight).

Jefferson's career-low 1,048 yards in 2025 hurt his vote share slightly, but most voters gave him a pass due to poor quarterback play. And several voters noted how professionally Jefferson handled the offense stalling. His 53.4% double-team percentage ranked first among receivers, and he eclipsed 1,500 yards the previous season with Sam Darnold.

Fowler finished his recap of Jefferson by referencing a coach's comments about the Vikings receiver:

Forget the 50-50 catch. Jefferson can make 20-80 catches, an NFL coordinator said. "That catch he made in Buffalo [in 2022], I don't think Chase makes that."

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