All NFC North Offense Super Team: Lions Own Half the Lineup and It Still Feels Right
The NFC North just built its dream offense. Lions, Packers, Vikings, Bears combined into one unholy roster. And when the dust settled, Detroit had five starters on the unit.
Five. Out of eleven.
Which tells you everything about where this franchise is right now compared to where it used to be. This is not the division doormat anymore. This is a team with legitimate All-Pro talent up and down the roster, and the rest of the North knows it.
Jordan Love Gets the QB Nod Over Jared Goff
Yeah, this one stings a little. Not because Goff is bad, but because Love has been elite at elevating what is around him. He finished second in adjusted EPA per play and third in completion percentage over expectation. Those are real numbers, not hype.
Goff is steady. Goff is clutch. Goff does not lose you games. But Love right now is making plays that quarterbacks are not supposed to make, and that tips the scale.
Jahmyr Gibbs: No Other Way to Go Here
This was not a debate. Gibbs has been unreal in the three years he has been with the Lions. He has posted 1,800-plus total yards and 18-plus touchdowns in the last two seasons. Now that the Lions are calling him their bell cow, he could be in for a mega season in 2026.
Nobody in this division can touch him.
Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown Lock Down WR1 and WR2
Jefferson is the easiest pick on the entire team. Even in a down statistical season he was still arguably the best receiver in the NFL in 2025. Poor quarterback play in Minnesota finally caught up to him, but the route running is still otherworldly.
St. Brown is the epitome of sure-handed. If the ball touches his hands, he is bringing it in. 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns every season, plus elite blocking when he does not have the ball. He is one of the highest-graded receivers in the league as a blocker, which feels very on brand for a Dan Campbell offense.
Tucker Kraft Over Sam LaPorta at Tight End
This one hurts. Kraft had 10.8 yards after the catch per reception. No other tight end in the NFL had more than 7.4. He generated a 157.2 passer rating when targeted before a torn ACL ended his season after just eight games.
LaPorta is a star. But Kraft is rising fast, and right now he is the best tight end in the division. If Sam stays healthy and keeps producing, this conversation flips next offseason.
Jordan Addison Takes the Flex Spot
Addison has proven to be every bit as impactful as any receiver in the division not named Jefferson or St. Brown. His ability to beat man coverage consistently and threaten vertically has made life significantly easier for Jefferson.
He needs to be more reliable off the field. But on the field, it does not get much better.
The Offensive Line: Lions and Bears Split the Honors
Penei Sewell at left tackle. Not only is Sewell a top-three tackle in the NFL, he is one of the best football players in the league period. There was some back and forth about whether to put him at left or right tackle, but they went with the side he intends to play in 2026.
That pushed out Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw. Which tells you how loaded this division is up front.
Joe Thuney at left guard was unanimous. The reigning Protector of the Year, future Hall of Famer, ageless wonder. This guy is as elite and consistent as they come.
Cade Mays at center feels a little strange since he has never actually played a game in the NFC North. But with Drew Dalman retiring and both the Packers and Vikings not having their center situation figured out, Mays jumps to the front of the line. He played pretty well for the Panthers, and he was the second-best option in free agency. We will see if he turns out to be the big help he seems to be.
Jonah Jackson at right guard. The former Lions Pro Bowler from 2021 finally played up to that level again in 2025. Ben Johnson thought he should have been a Pro Bowl selection and believes he can play at that kind of level this upcoming season.
Darnell Wright at right tackle. The argument came down to Wright versus Brian O’Neill. One is scratching the surface of his potential as an All-Pro caliber player, the other is an established veteran with multiple Pro Bowl nods. They went with the upside.
Five Lions, Five Reasons to Believe
Gibbs, St. Brown, Sewell, Mays, and arguably LaPorta if you want to make the case he should be starting over Kraft. That is half the offense. That is what Brad Holmes has built in Allen Park, and that is why expectations are sky-high heading into camp.
This is not the 0-16 Lions. This is not the Matt Millen era. This is a franchise with legitimate star power on both sides of the ball, and the rest of the division knows it.
Training camp starts in less than two weeks. The schedule drops soon. And for the first time in a long time, the Lions are not just competing in this division, they are dominating the All-NFC North roster conversation.
That feels good to say out loud.
Do the Lions have too many players on this list or not enough? Should LaPorta be starting over Kraft? Should Goff be the QB1? Drop your take below and tell us where we got it wrong.
