NFC North All-Defense Team: The Lions Get Their Due, But the Division is Still a Problem
Let’s get one thing straight up front. The NFC North is not some soft rebuild division anymore. This is a gauntlet. The Packers traded for Micah Parsons. The Vikings have young stars breaking out on the interior. The Bears still have Jaylon Johnson when he’s healthy. And the Lions? They’re quietly stacking Pro Bowlers on defense while everyone fixates on Jared Goff and the offense.
Some writers from around the division got together and built an All-NFC North defensive team. Lions fans will love some of it. They’ll hate other parts of it. That’s fine. Let’s break it down position by position and figure out where Detroit stands.
Edge Rushers: Hutchinson Made the Cut, But Parsons Got the Top Spot
Aidan Hutchinson was named the second edge rusher on this team. Not the first. The first went to Micah Parsons, who the Packers acquired via trade and who racked up 12.5 sacks and 79 pressures in 14 games. Parsons is a freak. No one disputes that. But Hutchinson led the league in pressures in 2025 and finished top five in sacks. He was PFF’s fourth-highest-graded edge rusher in 2025.
The hope is that the Lions have given him some help on the edge to take advantage of all the attention he gets. But for now, being the second edge on this list stings a little, even if Parsons is legitimately one of the best in football.
Defensive Tackles: Alim McNeill Earned His Spot Despite 2025
McNeill had a rough 2025. Everyone knows it. He came back from a torn ACL at the end of the 2024 season and just didn’t look right. But the writers who picked this team agreed that he proved his worth in 2023 and 2024, and that 2025 felt like a guy who returned too fast. Fair take.
The top interior spot went to Jalen Redmond of the Vikings, who had a massive breakout in 2025 after playing just 236 snaps in 2024. On 793 snaps, Redmond totaled 6.5 sacks and 35 pressures. That’s the kind of development that makes division games harder. McNeill needs to bounce back in 2026. If he does, this Lions defensive line could be legitimately scary.
Linebacker: Jack Campbell is a First-Team All-Pro and It Still Feels Surreal
This one was easy, apparently. Everyone agreed. Jack Campbell was a first-team All-Pro in 2025. 176 combined tackles, five sacks, three forced fumbles, and PFF’s second-highest-graded linebacker in the league. Then he got rewarded with one of the richest linebacker contracts in football.
If you watched the Matt Millen era, you know what it feels like to draft a linebacker high and watch him flame out. Campbell is not that. He is legitimate. He is a foundational piece. He is the kind of player this franchise has been trying to draft for 20 years. Enjoy it.
The second linebacker spot went to Edgerrin Cooper of the Packers, a versatile off-ball linebacker who can cover, blitz, and read the run. He was more of a role player as a rookie, but became a full-time starter in 2025. He’s had 23 pressures in the NFL. The Packers are betting he becomes a Pro Bowler. That’s a problem for Detroit twice a year.
Cornerbacks: Jaylon Johnson Over Terrion Arnold? Let’s Talk About It
The top corner spot went to Jaylon Johnson of the Bears. When healthy, he’s a true lockdown defender. He looked like one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL in 2023 and earned a big payday. He earned a second Pro Bowl nod in 2024 before missing 10 games in 2025. The question, as the writers noted, is whether he can return to that level in 2026.
The second corner spot went to Byron Murphy Jr. of the Vikings, who plays outside and inside depending on what Brian Flores needs. Over the last two seasons, Murphy has played 1,363 snaps at outside cornerback and 533 snaps in the slot. He’s versatile, consistent, and a perfect fit for a modern NFL defense.
Terrion Arnold didn’t make the cut. That’s not an indictment. He’s still young. But it does show how much talent is in this division at cornerback. Rock Ya-Sin and Roger McCreary are solid depth pieces, but neither is cracking this list. That’s fine. Not every position group is elite.
Safety: Brian Branch is One of the Best in Football
Brian Branch made this team at safety. He can play inside, outside, all around. He can stuff the run, rush the passer, break up passes, and hit receivers as hard as the rules allow. The writers said it plainly: the Lions need to get him back as soon as possible. He’s due for an extension, and Brad Holmes will get it done.
The other safety spot went to Xavier McKinney of the Packers, who had eight interceptions in 2024. He was an All-Pro player in each of his first two years in Green Bay, allowing a 56.4 passer rating when targeted in 2024 and 60.1 in 2025. That’s a Hall of Fame safety resume in the making.
The Nickel Spot Went to a Viking, and That’s Fine
Josh Mettelus of the Vikings got the nod at the nickel defender spot, which is less about slot corner and more about versatile defensive back play. He lines up everywhere, makes plays in multiple ways, and is one of the smartest defenders in the league. Not the flashiest pick, but a smart one.
What This Means for Detroit
The Lions got four players on this team: Hutchinson, McNeill, Campbell, and Branch. That’s not bad. That’s actually pretty damn good. But it also shows how much talent the rest of the division has stacked up. The Packers have Parsons, McKinney, and Cooper. The Vikings have Redmond, Murphy, and Mettelus. Even the Bears got Johnson on here when healthy.
This division is not getting easier. The schedule releases soon, and the Lions are going to have to go through all of these guys twice. Maybe more if they meet in the playoffs. The good news is Brad Holmes keeps drafting well. The bad news is so does everyone else.
Do the Lions have enough defensive firepower to win this division, or are we looking at another year of watching Green Bay and Minnesota stack up All-Pros? Drop your take below.
