​The Chicago Bears captured the NFC North last season for the first time in far too long, and since then, the roster built by Ryan Poles has received plenty of well-earned recognition. That praise makes sense. Chicago put together a strong campaign, proved it could survive in one of football’s toughest divisions, and showed that its young core is capable of competing at a high level. Still, it is important to keep the bigger picture in mind.
The NFC North in 2025 was one of the rare divisions of the Super Bowl era in which every team finished the regular season with a winning record. From the Bears to the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, and Green Bay Packers, there was no easy week inside the division. Every roster had legitimate talent, physicality, and enough playmakers to swing games. Chicago won the North, but the margin between first place and a different outcome was not especially wide. A few plays, a few injuries, or a few late-game breaks could have changed the entire race. That reality deserves to be acknowledged.
With that in mind, it is worth giving credit to some of the division rivals who do not always receive the attention they deserve. The NFC North is loaded with stars, but it also has several players whose impact goes beyond the box score. These are not the obvious names. They are not Pro Bowl fixtures, and none of them landed in the top ten of the recent ESPN survey of league insiders. In fact, many of them are still questioned by fans, analysts, or even their own teams’ supporters despite consistently producing meaningful football.
So what qualifies a player as underrated? For this list, it means a player who affects games more than his reputation suggests. These are players who may not have the flashiest sack totals, interception numbers, or highlight-reel moments, but they consistently make life harder for opponents. In several cases, there have been recent seasons when they deserved more Pro Bowl consideration than they received. They may not dominate headlines, but coaches notice them, opponents have to account for them, and their teams are better when they are on the field.
Alim McNeil of the Detroit Lions fits that description well. I have been intrigued by McNeil since he entered the NFL as a draft prospect in 2021. At the time, I worried that a few years down the road he would be lining up across from the Bears and making the teams that passed on him regret it. On the surface, that prediction may not look completely accurate. McNeil has never been selected to a Pro Bowl. He has never recorded more than five sacks in a season, and he has yet to post double-digit tackles for loss.
But judging an interior defensive lineman only by those numbers misses much of what McNeil brings to the Lions’ defense. He may not consistently produce the type of splash plays that fill up a stat sheet, but he is disruptive, sturdy, and reliable in the middle. In 2024, he ranked inside the top twenty among defenders in quarterback hurries, which is impressive even if it does not scream superstar. More importantly, his average depth of tackle over the last two seasons was just 1.1 and 1.4 yards. That means he is meeting ball carriers near the line of scrimmage and preventing offenses from staying on schedule.
His career hurry percentage sits at 4.8%, which compares favorably with other highly regarded interior defenders. For context, Byron Murphy II has posted an average depth of tackle of 2.4 yards with a 4.7% hurry rate, while Jalen Carter has been at 1.7 yards and 6.5%. McNeil may not be as flashy as some of his peers, but he wins his assignments, creates pressure, and helps set the tone for Detroit’s defensive front. If he stays healthy throughout 2026, the Bears need to have a clear plan for handling him.
Eric Wilson of the Minnesota Vikings is another NFC North player who deserves more recognition. Jonathan Greenard and Dallas Turner have drawn plenty of attention for their roles in Minnesota’s defense, and understandably so. However, Wilson’s contributions should not be overlooked. He began his career with the Vikings, spent time with other teams around the league, including the Green Bay Packers, and eventually returned to Minnesota for the 2025 season.
Once back with the Vikings, Wilson made a major impact at linebacker. If Minnesota had received more stability from the quarterback position and the team’s season had unfolded differently, he might have received serious Pro Bowl consideration. His production was difficult to ignore. Wilson recorded 17 tackles for loss and forced four fumbles, giving the Vikings a versatile and disruptive presence in the middle of the defense.
Wilson is not always discussed among the top linebackers in the NFL, but his play style matters. He attacks downhill, finds the football, and creates negative plays. In a division as competitive as the NFC North, those traits are extremely valuable. The Bears may have won the division, but players like McNeil and Wilson are reminders that every matchup against Detroit, Minnesota, and Green Bay will remain a challenge. Chicago has earned its praise, but the rest of the NFC North is not going away quietly.