NFC North Roundtable: Division is loaded with talent, but some are overrated, including one team's best player
The NFC North has a lot of high-end talent. There are multiple-time All Pro players at key spots on the field and players who have won Offensive Player of the Year. We've taken a look at the most underrated players in the division already with some really talented players, but now it's time to look […]
The NFC North has a lot of high-end talent. There are multiple-time All Pro players at key spots on the field and players who have won Offensive Player of the Year. We've taken a look at the most underrated players in the division already with some really talented players, but now it's time to look at the other end of the spectrum.
Each team has players whom the masses place more value on than what they provide. Some of that is based on upside, what you did in the past, or just being a fan favorite. This isn't to say that any of these players are bad, but rather overvalued by some section of the market.
Our NFC North beat writers got together and broke down the most overrated players in the division.
Minnesota Vikings beat writer Tyler Forness: Lions EDGE Aidan Hutchinson
This was a tough one to parse out, because there are some players who are slightly overvalued in this division, including on the team I cover. However, none of them are on the level of Aidan Hutchinson.
The way Huchinson gets talked about, you would think he is on the level of Myles Garrett when in reality, he's a tier or two lower. He relies far too much on his spin move, which is objectively elite, his PFF pressure numbers feel very inflated when you watch the tape, and he lacks the athleticism to threaten around the arc the way you want your elite edge rushers to do so. Plus, his length is subpar, which puts him at a major disadvantage against offensive tackles and it shows up consistently.
The reality is this. Hutchinson isn't a bad player. He's a very good one! We just need to talk about Hutchinson on the level he is actually at, and not that he's close to players like Garrett, Maxx Crosby, and Micah Parsons. Right now, Hutch is a fringe top 10 pass rusher, and there is nothing wrong with that! He's closer to 15 than he is to the top three, and that's where the discussion needs to be.
Green Bay Packers beat writer Wendell Ferreira: Bears TE Cole Kmet
The NFC North is not exactly a place where players tend to be overrated, so it was even harder to find great candidates. I thought about Jameson Williams, Caleb Williams, Christian Watson, but those are all players with high potential to some degree, and none is perceived as an elite player to a point where it's just too much. The Bears gave Kmet a four-year, $50 million extension, and two years later drafted a tight end in the top 10 (Colston Loveland). In some instances, the Bears treated him as a real weapon, and he should probably be well below on the priority list.
Presumably, that will change now since Chicago took Loveland, but Kmet is still overpriced compared to what he's produced on the field.
Another option would be Packers left guard Aaron Banks. He's not played in the NFC North yet, but Green Bay overpaid him in free agency based on what he's done in the NFL throughout his career. Maybe the Packers can extract more out of him than the San Francisco 49ers did, but those are always hard propositions.
Chicago Bears beat writer Kole Noble: Packers OG Aaron Banks.
Piggybacking off Wendell a little bit here, it’s hard to find an overrated player in this division, but I was absolutely stunned to see the contract Aaron Banks got in free agency and more stunned that it came from the Green Bay Packers. Banks has only played one full season in the NFL and the Packers never seem like the type of team in free agency that would throw money at a guy like that. Especially when they already have three young offensive linemen in Elgton Jenkins, Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom to pay and keep happy in the coming months. Not to mention selecting Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton over the last two drafts. Signing Banks seems like an oversight and he will look like a heavily overrated player once the season kicks off.
Detroit Lions beat writer Mike Payton: Packers QB Jordan Love
Look, Love is not a bad quarterback, but I keep waiting for the guy that so many people keep telling me about to show up in moments that matter, and he really hasn’t done that. There’s no doubt he had a really nice second half to his 2023 season, but 2024 was a step back. He really struggled against the NFC North. He went 106-172 for 1,383 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions in six games. The Packers won one of those games.