Sophia
Just yesterday, the NFC North was already heralded as arguably the most formidable division in the entire NFL. Three of its four teams made playoff runs last season, and the Chicago Bears, the lone absentee, are now brimming with potential after the strategic hiring of Ben Johnson as coach and a significant roster overhaul. It was a loaded group, and then, in a seismic shift that reverberated across the league, it became even more powerful.
The Green Bay Packers, in a blockbuster trade, acquired Micah Parsons, instantly elevating the division’s defensive prowess to unprecedented levels. While the NFC North has been recognized for its coaching talent—led by reigning Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell, alongside Dan Campbell, Matt LaFleur, and the fresh face of Johnson—and its fascinating collection of quarterbacks in Jared Goff, Jordan Love, Caleb Williams, and J.J. McCarthy, this trade changes the narrative. Even the wide receiver corps, featuring stars like Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and D.J. Moore, with rising talents such as Rome Odunze and Matthew Golden, might now take a backseat.
With Parsons now a formidable presence, the NFC North boasts the two leading candidates for Defensive Player of the Year. FanDuel Sportsbook places Parsons as the favorite at +500, with Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson closely behind at +750. This article will delve into the top edge rushers for each NFC North team, assessing their standing in this newly defined hierarchy.
5. Montez Sweat, Chicago Bears: A Solid Contributor in a Star-Studded Division
Montez Sweat embarks on his second full season with the Bears, having joined the team midway through the 2023 season via trade. While his acquisition was a worthwhile move for Chicago, Sweat is coming off a somewhat subdued 2024 campaign. Across 16 games, he recorded 5.5 sacks, a dip from the six sacks he achieved in just nine games for the Bears in 2023 after his trade from Washington.
His time to pressure also marked the slowest of his career at 2.7 seconds. However, Sweat did register an impressive 14.4% pressure rate, the second-highest of his career, surpassing the 13.8% he posted in his half-season with Chicago. Sweat is by no means a slouch and would command higher regard in less talent-rich divisions. Yet, in this incredibly deep NFC North, he currently sits a tier or two below the elite.
4. Andrew Van Ginkel, Minnesota Vikings: A Breakout Star
Andrew Van Ginkel was a key component of the Vikings’ aggressive offseason additions in 2024. His arrival made an immediate and significant impact, propelling him to Pro Bowl status and earning him a second-team All-Pro nod. This remarkable season saw him accumulate 49 pressures and 11.5 sacks, coupled with a 12.6% pressure rate.
Alongside fellow Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, Van Ginkel contributed to a formidable duo that produced 23.5 sacks—the second-most for any duo in the NFL last season. Their success was amplified by defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ blitz-heavy scheme, which led the league with a 42% blitz rate in 2024. Van Ginkel consistently rose to the occasion, proving to be a critical asset for Minnesota’s defense.
3. Jonathan Greenard, Minnesota Vikings: The Consistent Rusher
The 28-year-old Jonathan Greenard seamlessly carried over the momentum from his impressive Year 4 breakout with the Houston Texans in 2023, where he recorded 12.5 sacks. This performance earned him a lucrative $76 million contract with the Vikings for the 2024 season. In his inaugural year in Minnesota, Greenard delivered another stellar 12-sack campaign, culminating in his first-ever Pro Bowl selection.
Thriving in Flores’ aggressive, blitz-heavy system, Greenard applied a career-high 80 pressures and boasted a 15.9% pressure rate. While Van Ginkel may have garnered the All-Pro recognition, Greenard’s consistent ability to disrupt the backfield establishes him as the superior pure pass rusher of the two.
2. Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions: Elite, But Briefly Dethroned
It’s a tight race, but Aidan Hutchinson, while undeniably elite, now finds himself just a touch short of the division’s top pass rusher spot. He remains arguably the second-best pass rusher in the entire NFL, a sentiment reflected in his status as the No. 2 candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. This highlights the incredible depth of talent at the edge rusher position within the NFC North.
Had it not been for a season-ending leg injury suffered in Week 6 last season, the competition for the top spot might have been a coin flip. Through the first six weeks of 2024, Hutchinson led the NFL with 7.5 sacks, 17 quarterback hits, and 45 pressures. His staggering 25% pressure rate was also the highest among defensive ends with 100 or more rushes, significantly outperforming Myles Garrett, who finished the year with an 18.4% pressure rate. Hutchinson is reportedly fully recovered and eager to return to the field in 2025. If he picks up where he left off, reclaiming the crown is well within his reach.
1. Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers: The New King of the North
There’s a new undisputed top pass rusher in the NFC North, and he now calls Lambeau Field home. With the Green Bay Packers’ acquisition of Micah Parsons in a blockbuster trade with the Cowboys, he instantly becomes arguably the most elite defensive player in the division, with the potential to significantly swing the balance of power towards Green Bay.
Last year, Parsons delivered his fourth consecutive double-digit sack campaign, complemented by 70 pressures and a 17.7% pressure rate. When directly comparing him to Hutchinson, Parsons boasts more sacks (30) than the Lions pass rusher (22) over the last two seasons. While it’s crucial to acknowledge Hutchinson’s season-ending injury that sidelined him for more than half of last season, rendering direct sack comparisons less precise, Parsons still maintains a slight edge in pressure rate.
Over the past two seasons, Parsons recorded a 19.9% pressure rate compared to Hutchinson’s 19.2%. These figures rank them No. 1 and No. 2 in the entire league over that span. Therefore, while incredibly close, we are giving the edge (pun intended) to Parsons until we witness Hutchinson’s full rebound from his significant injury. Regardless of how you dissect the numbers, this division now proudly features two of the absolute best pass rushers in the NFL, promising an electrifying defensive spectacle for seasons to come.
