NFC North 'front seven' rankings: New-look Vikings pass rush is scary

Minnesota added Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to an already-excellent defense this offseason.

Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jonathan Greenard (58) celebrates his sack against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter at Soldier Field. / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

It's time to flip over to the defensive side of the ball as we continue to rank various aspects of the four NFC North teams heading into the 2025 season. Instead of doing this position by position, we're going to split it up into just two different pieces: the "front seven" and the secondary. We're starting up front, where we'll group together a team's key defensive linemen, edge rushers, and linebackers to rank them from worst to first as a collective.

4. Chicago Bears

• EDGE: Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker, Daniel Hardy
• DL: Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., Andrew Billings, Shemar Turner
• LB: T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Ruben Hyppolite II, Amen Ogbongbemiga

This isn't a bad Bears front, but it's the only one in the division that doesn't have a player who you can easily envision making an All-Pro team. Sweat was OK last year as this team's top pass rusher, but his production fell off from 2023. I like the addition of the 25-year-old Odeyingbo, who showed some impressive flashes during his four seasons with the Colts. Jarrett was a good pickup in the middle, but he's 32 and no longer the player he was during his peak days in Atlanta. Their scariest interior rusher might be Dexter, if the 2023 second-rounder keeps ascending after a solid second season. At linebacker, Edwards and Edmunds are a capable but slightly underwhelming duo. Hyppolite is interesting as a toolsy fourth-round rookie who they're hoping can help replace Jack Sanborn.

3. Green Bay Packers

• EDGE: Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, Barryn Sorrell
• DL: Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden
• LB: Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie, Ty'Ron Hopper

The Packers have kept largely the same core together for a few years. Gary is a very good player. Last year wasn't his most productive season, but he's better than Sweat as a No. 1 edge rusher. Van Ness has had two fairly quiet seasons since being taken 13th overall in '23; this is a big year for him. Sorrell could be a nice addition as a rookie. The highlight of this front might still be the interior. Clark somehow had just one sack last season, so he should be motivated for a bounce-back year. The Packers have to hope he's still the same guy he was for so many years. Wyatt and Brooks are also talented rushers. Walker and McDuffie were the top two 'backers last season, but the guy to keep in mind at that spot is Cooper. He was awesome as a rookie, finishing sixth in DROY voting. The former second-rounder has major star potential.

2. Detroit Lions

• EDGE: Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Josh Paschal, Al-Quadin Muhammad
• DL: Alim McNeill, D.J. Reader, Levi Onwuzurike, Tyleik Williams
• LB: Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Trevor Nowaske

Ditto for the Lions, who are largely running it back with the same defensive front. Hutchinson might be the best pass rusher in the league; he was the clear DPOY favorite before going down with a season-ending injury in Week 6. He's been fully cleared for offseason practices. Davenport is a completely theoretical idea at this point since he can't stay on the field, but Paschal and Muhammad are solid depth options. This DT group is absolutely stacked. McNeill and Onwuzurike can get after the passer, Reader is a tank in the middle, and Detroit supplemented the group by taking Williams — maybe the best run-defending DT in the draft — with their first-round pick. It's also a very good linebacker group, led by Campbell and Anzalone, though it's not ideal that Malcolm Rodriguez is expected to be out until November. This would be the best front in a lot of divisions, just not one that has the Vikings in it.

1. Minnesota Vikings

• EDGE: Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Gabriel Murphy
• DL: Jonathan Allen, Javon Hargrave, Harrison Phillips, Jalen Redmond
• LB: Blake Cashman, Ivan Pace Jr., Eric Wilson, Kobe King

This happens to be the third straight entry in this series where I've put the Vikings in the top spot, but I really don't think I'm being biased here. Greenard and Van Ginkel were both unbelievable last season, earning Pro Bowl honors (AVG was an All-Pro who was in the DPOY mix for a while). Pat Jones II is gone, but Dallas Turner looks primed to take a major leap in his second season. And just look at those names in the middle. Adding Allen and Hargrave in free agency to complement the edge rushers is going to make this pass rush unfair if everyone is healthy. Yes, Allen and Hargrave are older and dealt with injuries last season, but they're still high-level players. Phillips complements them well as the run-stuffer of the group. I wanted to include Redmond after some of the flashes he showed, but that meant I didn't even include third-round rookie Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. At linebacker, Cashman and Pace are a nationally-underrated duo who fit Brian Flores' scheme perfectly. This is an absolutely stacked defensive front that should be one of the best in the NFL.

More NFC North rankings

• Quarterback rooms
• Running back rooms
• Pass-catcher groups (WRs and TEs)
• Offensive lines