NFC North Roundtable: Biggest themes for each team heading into first full weekend of preseason games

While the Detroit Lions have already played one preseason game, having participated in the Hall of Fame game, the rest of the NFC North are set to make their preseason debuts. There are a lot of interesting things to look at for each team going into their first game. A multitude of position battles, emerging […]

Kole Noble, Mike Payton, Tyler Forness, Wendell Ferreira
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While the Detroit Lions have already played one preseason game, having participated in the Hall of Fame game, the rest of the NFC North are set to make their preseason debuts.

There are a lot of interesting things to look at for each team going into their first game. A multitude of position battles, emerging young players, and coaches getting their feet wet are all fascinating subplots throughout the course of training camp.

What are the biggest storylines and themes for each team going into this weekend’s preseason games? There are some interesting ones.

Minnesota Vikings beat writer Tyler Forness: How WR and CB depth shakes out

There are some interesting positional battles when it comes to the Vikings, but the most intriguing areas are on the outside. Wide receiver has elite names at the top in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but the back end of the group has always been a fierce battle. This year, that looks to be between Lucky Jackson, Rondale Moore, Tim Jones, and Jeshaun Jones for those final roster spots. Both Moore and Tim Jones have guaranteed money on their contracts, but Jeshaun Jones and Jackson have arguably had the best training camps, which could lead to some contentious battles.

Cornerback is in a similar boat. Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers are cemented as starters with Jeff Okudah getting the majority of reps at nickel cornerback. How will the depth of the cornerback position shake out? Mekhi Blackmon is the CB4 right now, but Zemaiah Vaughn and Dwight McGlothern have been impactful throughout training camp. Special teams could be the biggest factor in deciding this battle.

Green Bay Packers beat writer Wendell Ferreira: Young offensive line pieces

Family Night was a tough event for last year’s first-round pick Jordan Morgan. With Rasheed Walker sidelined, Morgan had the opportunity to practice the entire period at left tackle with the ones, and it was rough. He showed lack of power to anchor edge defenders when he doesn’t win early with his hands, and lack of consistency followed. Meanwhile, second-round rookie Anthony Belton practiced at left tackle with the twos and had some two-minute reps at right tackle with the ones when Zach Tom left the activity. Belton feels more natural than Morgan at tackle, but he still needs to be more fluid as a run-blocker.

Preseason games will be huge for the young offensive linemen, both to see how they will respond against another defense and to help decide where they will play in 2025 and beyond. With left tackle Rasheed Walker and right guard Sean Rhyan entering a contract year, those answers are huge for the future of the offense.

Chicago Bears beat writer Kole Noble: Integration of the rookies

Chicago’s roster is filled with a lot of talented veterans on both sides of the ball and yet the team is still going to be dependent on multiple rookies to step up right out of the gate. Looking ahead to Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, I’m interested to see how the team’s newcomers will be integrated in a live game setting. Will we see Ozzy Trapilo get the start at left tackle? How many snaps will Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III get with offense after missing so much time this offseason?

Beyond those big three names, I’m interested to see how Kyle Monangai looks running the football, what role Ruben Hyppolite II plays on defense, and whether or not Luke Newman takes reps at multiple positions on the offensive line as well. As for a sneaky rookie to watch, wide receiver JP Richardson is sure to ball out on offense and special teams this weekend based on how he’s looked throughout training camp.

Detroit Lions beat writer Mike Payton: Edge rusher depth

I would like to see the rotational edge rusher race work itself out a little more. Right now it’s a triple threat match between Keith Cooper Jr, Nate Lynn, and Isaac Ukwu. One of them has a chance to pull ahead for a spot on the 53-man roster with a solid outing against the Falcons.

The edge right now goes to Cooper. He’s shown a lot at camp and proved to be a good run stopper and promising pass rusher. But he’s not out of the woods yet.

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