2017 Preseason All-NFC North Team
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QB Aaron Rodgers, Packers
Rodgers didn't win MVP like Matt Ryan or Super Bowl MVP like Tom Brady, but he's the most talented quarterback in the entire NFL. Last season, in a year many portrayed as a down season, he threw 40 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Imagine what would happen if Mike McCarthy actually started to call plays that involved more than just isolation routes. There's no reason to expect a regression this season after the Packers went out and signed Martellus Bennett to replace Jared Cook. Don't be surprised if Bennett ends up being Rodgers' favorite target over the course of the season.
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RB Jordan Howard, Bears
In his rookie season, Howard finished second in the league in rushing yards. Only Ezekiel Elliott had more. The thing is, if Howard hadn't spent the beginning portion of the season on the bench, he would've had a chance to beat Elliott considering he averaged more yards per carry than the Cowboys back. Due to the strength of the Bears' offensive line, Howard should thrive again. The Bears' quarterback situation is still a weakness of the team, so look for them to rely on the ground game.
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WR Jordy Nelson, Packers
Coming back from an ACL tear, Nelson didn't disappoint, even if he wasn't operating at his peak. Last season, Nelson caught 97 passes for 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns. As long as he keeps catching passes from Aaron Rodgers, he won't suffer a dramatic decline. Nelson is the only dependable downfield threat that Rodgers has.
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WR Golden Tate, Lions
Tate might be the game's best slot receiver. He's certainly up there with Julian Edelman. In his three seasons in Detroit, he's racked up 3,221 yards and 14 touchdowns. He's also been durable, appearing in all 48 games in that span. According to Pro Football Focus, he's forced the most missed tackle among all active receivers since 2014.
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WR Stefon Diggs, Vikings
Diggs is still flying under the radar a bit due to Minnesota's anemic passing attack, but he's a stud. Last year, he caught 84 passes for 903 yards and three touchdowns. If the Vikings can figure out a way to adequately protect Sam Bradford, Diggs' numbers should improve drastically.
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TE Martellus Bennett, Packers
The Packers' signing of Bennett changed the landscape of the NFC. That's how good he is. With Bennett, the Packers might just be the favorites over the Cowboys in the NFC. Not only is Bennett a dependable blocker, he's also one of the most dynamic pass-catching tight ends in the game. Since 2012, Bennett has accumulated the sixth-most receiving yards among all tight ends.
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OT David Bakhtiari, Packers
Responsible for keeping Rodgers upright, Bakhtiari has done a tremendous job. In 2016, he was Pro Football Focus' second-highest graded tackle. He also finished second in pass-blocking efficiency -- a PFF statistic that "measures pressure allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting toward sacks allowed." Rodgers is lucky to have him.
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G Josh Sitton, Bears
When the Packers surprising cut Sitton last summer, Bears GM Ryan Pace didn't waste a moment to get the guard to join his former rival. Pace's immediate interest made sense; Sitton is one of the best interior linemen in the game. He's been to four Pro Bowls. According to PFF, he finished second among all guards in pass-blocking efficiency.
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C Cody Whitehair, Bears
Whitehair wasn't supposed to be the Bears' center last year, but an August injury to Hroniss Grasu changed that. It ended up being the best thing for Whitehair and the Bears. In his first professional season, Whitehair became one of the best centers in the game. He finished 10th in pass-blocking efficiency, and PFF graded him as the sixth-best center in football.
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G Kyle Long, Bears
Long rounds out the impressive interior of the Bears' offensive line. Since becoming a surprising first-round pick in 2013, he's been to three Pro Bowls. He can do everything -- he played tackle for a season and did just fine -- but his strength is at guard. Watch him in the open field where can use his athleticism as a run blocker. That's when he's at his best.
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OT Bryan Bulaga, Packers
Tough call for new Lions tackle Rick Wagner, who just misses the cut. Unfortunately for Wagner, Bulaga has him beat, but only just barely.. According to PFF, Bulaga had a better pass-blocking efficiency and landed a better overall grade.
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DE Ezekiel Ansah, Lions
Ansah experienced a down-season in 2016, but it's impossible to ignore his entire body of work. In 2015, he racked up 14.5 sacks. In 2014, he had 7.5. In 2013, he had eight. History suggests he'll improve from his two-sack 2016 season. He's in a contract year, so he'll have plenty of motivation to get back to his dominant ways.
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DT Mike Daniels, Packers
In the past three seasons as a full-time starter, Daniels has averaged 4.5 sacks per season. He also grades highly on PFF. Here's his pressure percentage by year, per PFF: 11.2 in 2016, 13.7 in 2015, 11.6 in 2014, 11.7 in 2013, and 7.3 in 2012. The average over those five years for defensive lineman? 7.4. Yeah, he's good.
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DE Danielle Hunter, Vikings
This also could've gone to Hunter's teammate, Everson Griffen, who has 30.5 sacks in the past three seasons. Tough call, but we're going with Hunter because he's younger and was a more efficient pass rusher last year, according to PFF. Hunter was the sixth-most productive pass rusher among all 4-3 defensive ends.
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OLB Leonard Floyd, Bears
Despite concerns over his weight (he was too skinny), Floyd was impressive in his rookie season, notching seven sacks in 12 games. He's going to get bigger and he's going to get better at bringing down quarterbacks -- he let countless sacks slip away last season. Look for Floyd to explode in 2017.
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ILB Jerrell Freeman, Bears
Before his suspension at the end of the season, Freeman was performing like one of the best inside linebackers in the NFL. He finished with the second-highest run stop percentage and was the fourth-most efficient tackler and among all inside linebackers, according to Pro Football Focus. In all, he was PFF's third-highest graded inside linebacker.
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ILB Eric Kendricks, Vikings
Kendricks represents a significant dropoff in talent from Freeman, but he's still the second best inside linebacker in the division, barely edging out Danny Trevathan. He was graded slightly higher than Trevathan by PFF. Most importantly, he's still young and has room to improve. Since entering the NFL two years ago, he's averaging 71 tackles and just over three sacks per season.
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OLB Nick Perry, Packers
Perry might not be as recognizable as Clay Matthews, but he's better at this point in their careers. Perry exploded last season, racking up a career-best 11 sacks in 14 games after he had registered 12.5 sacks in the previous four seasons combined. According to Pro Football Focus, he was the 17th most efficient pass rusher among all 3-4 outside linebacker. If Perry can build off his breakout season, he'll climb up those rankings.
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CB Xavier Rhodes, Vikings
His interception count (5) last year was impressive, and so were his more advanced statistics. According to PFF, Rhodes led all cornerbacks with a 47.0 passer rating in coverage. He allowed two touchdowns all season long. He's awesome.
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CB Terence Newman, Vikings
Newman making this team is incredible considering he'll turn 39 in September. Heck, his coach, Mike Zimmer, is already offering him coaching jobs. Not that Newman needs a new job; he's still a damn good cornerback. In 2016, Newman snagged just one interception, but he was PFF's ninth-highest graded cornerback -- one spot ahead of Richard Sherman. That's why he barely beat out Darius Slay of the Lions. Newman allowed a 62.0 passer rating in coverage -- the fifth-lowest rating in all of football, per PFF.
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S Harrison Smith, Vikings
Smith failed to secure an interception in 2016, so it was a bit of a down year for him after averaging three picks per season from 2012-15. But he was still a dependable member of the Vikings' defense. He was PFF's 12th highest graded safety in all football while finishing 11th in stops with 27 and seventh in tackles with 29.
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S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Packers
By selecting Clinton-Dix and Smith, we're mixing up positions a bit considering both are free safeties, but we'll allow it to get both these talents. Clinton-Dix's 2016 statline? Five interceptions, seven passes defended, a forced fumble, and 61 solo tackles. Morgan Burnett, Clinton-Dix's teammate, was also given consideration due to his top-11 PFF grade, but it was ultimately too tough to ignore those five interceptions. Both are good choices.
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K Matt Prater, Lions
Tough call with Mason Crosby of the Packers residing in the NFC North, but Prater gets the nod because of his ability to drill long-range kicks. Prater converted on all seven of his attempts from 50-plus yards while Crosby went 1-of-2 in that range. As a whole, Prater ranked 10th in the NFL with a 86.1 field goal percentage and he missed just two extra points.
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P Sam Martin, Lions
In 2016, Martin finished second to Johnny Hekker in net punting average (44.2) and fifth in average return length (6.0). That's good enough for me.
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RET Marcus Sherels, Vikings
Sherels might be the best punt returner in the league if Tyreek Hill's duties are scaled back in 2017 to let him focus on receiver. Sherels took two punts to the house in 2016, and his 13.9 yard average on 21 punt returns ranked him second behind Hill among players with at least 12 returns.
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