At this point in the NFL offseason, just about every team talks itself into contending. It’s spring, after all: the dawn of fresh grass, first practices and new hopes for the upcoming season. But there is perhaps no division that justifies such widespread optimism as the NFC North, which has seen three different champions in the last three years. In fact, if you look closely, there’s a solid case to be made for all four of the quartet’s clubs as challengers to the 2024 throne.
Here’s a look at the best things going for each of them:
Rome Odunze, Caleb Williams
Getty Images
Drafting the consensus top quarterback prospect No. 1 overall certainly helps, but it’s not just Caleb Williams’ entry as a potential off-script gunslinger that moves the needle; the upgraded supporting cast might do just as much, if not more, heavy lifting here. Unlike Justin Fields before him, Williams won’t be saddled with middling depth, but rather proven weapons at every spot. The remade receiving trio of D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze alone should keep them competitive. Couple that with Matt Eberflus’ defense, which rounded into near-suffocating form late in 2023, and one of the easiest projected schedules of 2024, and it’s not hard to envision Chicago instantly vaulting into the wild-card race.
Amon-Ra St. Brown
USATSI
Was their long-awaited 2023 breakout, which ended within one win of a Super Bowl appearance, simply an anomaly? Not by the looks of their offensive infrastructure, which boasts a rejuvenated figurehead in Jared Goff, a dynamic backfield duo featuring Jahmyr Gibbs, a solid front and one of the game’s steadiest pass outlets in Amon-Ra St….
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Author : Cody Benjamin
Publish date : 2024-05-22 18:08:19
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