With the calendar switching to July 1, it’s officially prediction season for NFL pundits. Unfortunately for head coach Matt LaFleur, one analyst doesn’t appear to think too highly of the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North this fall.
On Wednesday, ESPN’s Ben Solak predicted the Minnesota Vikings to win the division. Solak pointed to his concerns about Green Bay’s defense as the primary reason he has his doubts about the Packers.
“The Packers won’t have edge rusher Micah Parsons for the first half of the season and lost defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to the Dolphins,” wrote Solak.
At the end of his prediction explanation, Solak made sure not to snub the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears too badly. But it didn’t seem Solak extended the same courtesy to the Packers.
“I’m not particularly down on the Lions or Bears (though a little dubious of the Packers), so any outcome in the NFC North wouldn’t surprise me much,” added Solak.
Green Bay has made the postseason each of the past three years. But this fall, LaFleur and the Packers will be trying to win their first division title since 2021.
Matt LaFleur, Packers Not Picked to Win NFC North in Latest ESPN Prediction
GettyESPN’s Ben Solak predicted the Minnesota Vikings to win the NFC North during the 2026 NFL season.
It’s not overly surprising Solak didn’t pick the Packers to win their division. The NFC North is one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL. All four teams had winning records last season.
But Solak predicting the Packers to finish behind the Vikings will surprise some. And it was pretty clear in Solak’s analysis that he has the most concerns on Green Bay in the division.
Under LaFleur, the Packers have won 76 games in seven years. That’s nearly an 11-win pace that has seen Green Bay finish with a record below .500 just once.
However, the Packers have won at least 10 games only once the past four years. Green Bay hasn’t captured another NFC North title since Aaron Rodgers‘ last MVP season.
Concerns Over Packers Defense
GettyESPN’s Ben Solak didn’t sound very confident in the Green Bay Packers in part because of Micah Parsons’ pending absence.
Solak focused his NFC North prediction on why the Vikings will win the division. Other than Parsons’ expected absence, the analyst didn’t mention anything else about why he was concerned about Green Bay.
A lot of pundits, though, share the worry Solak appears to have about the Packers pass rush. Parsons probably won’t return until the middle of October, at the earliest. Who will fill his void the first month and a half of the 2026 regular season will be a major storyline for Green Bay.
The Packers didn’t win another game last season after Parsons suffered his knee injury in December.
Green Bay, though, is hopeful Lukas Van Ness is finally ready to burst onto the scene in 2026. The Packers drafted Van Ness at No. 13 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. Through 43 NFL games, he only has 8.5 sacks.
The Packers will need more from Van Ness early in 2026, along with fellow edge rushers Brenton Cox Jr. and Barryn Sorrell. Fourth-round rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton could play a role in replacing Parsons as well.
If the Packers prove to have a consistent pass rush without Parsons, they could very easily prove Solak wrong and win the NFC North.
Packers Put on Notice With 2026 NFC North Prediction