Inside The Vikings

Dan Orlovsky's ranking of NFC North receiving corps is absolutely wild

This is one of the more bizarre rankings we've seen in a while.
Will Ragatz|
Sep 10, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) reacts with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) after scoring his first career touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins (not pictured) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Sep 10, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) reacts with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) after scoring his first career touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins (not pictured) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. | Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

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Minnesota Vikings

Who has the best group of receivers in the NFC North? It's a tough question. Three of the four teams have big-time star power and a compelling case to be in the top spot.

That's why it's shocking to see that ESPN's Dan Orlovsky put none of those three teams atop his ranking. He somehow has the Packers in first, followed by the Vikings, Bears, and Lions. As an attempt to explain himself, he clarified that tight ends are included and he wanted five above-average pass catchers.

Even with that context, it's quite difficult to see how the Packers wind up in the No. 1 spot. Frankly, Green Bay seems closer to last than first when you put all the names together. Let's use Orlovsky's order and take a look (we're only considering WRs and TEs here, even if these teams have running backs who catch lots of passes).

  • Packers: WR Christian Watson, WR Romeo Doubs, WR Jayden Reed, TE Luke Musgrave, WR Dontayvion Wicks
  • Vikings: WR Justin Jefferson, WR Jordan Addison, TE T.J. Hockenson, WR Jalen Nailor, WR Brandon Powell
  • Bears: WR D.J. Moore, WR Rome Odunze, WR Keenan Allen, TE Cole Kmet, TE Gerald Everett
  • Lions: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, TE Sam LaPorta, WR Jameson Williams, WR Kalif Raymond, TE Brock Wright

Here's how I'd personally rank them if everyone is healthy and available: Vikings 1, Bears 2, Lions 3, Packers 4. If you factor in Hockenson's injury and a potential Addison suspension, the Vikings probably slide down a spot or two.

It's close for me between Chicago and Minnesota for the top spot, but Jefferson is the tiebreaker there. Nailor is also a lot better than you realize unless you've seen him playing throughout training camp, and Allen could potentially start to fade a little bit at 32 years old.

I think Orlovsky's mistake was giving too much weight to having four or five above-average guys instead of a really good top three, which is what matters most. I have the Lions third because I'd much rather have St. Brown, LaPorta, and Williams than any three-man Packers combination. Yes, Detroit drops off hard after their top three, but that doesn't matter as much to me. Meanwhile, the Packers have like six good pass-catchers (you can throw TE Tucker Kraft in there too) but are the only team in the division without a legitimate star.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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