WCG’s 2023 NFC North player rankings: Nos. 36-45

As the heat of summer kicks up, the heat of the NFL offseason has died down. That makes it a perfect time to bring back our annual NFC North player rankings!

The Windy City Gridiron staff has come together to rank the top players in the Chicago Bears’ division heading into the 2023 NFL season. Like the NFL Top 100 — but better, in our humble opinion — staffers who participated were asked to provide their top 30 players in the division, and their respective rankings of those individual players resulted in a scoring system to put together these finalized rankings. In order to deepen the player pool a bit, Jacob Infante and Bill Zimmerman provided additional honorable mentions.

To start things off, let’s look at the players ranked 36 through 45.

No. 45: Bears OG Nate Davis

Best: HM (Infante)

Last year: N/A

A four-year starter during his time with the Titans, Davis heads over to Chicago in hopes of bolstering their offensive line. He is a powerful run blocker who has graded well from PFF over each of the last three seasons.

No. 44: Bears OT Darnell Wright

Best: HM (Zimmerman)

Last year: N/A

Wright was the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and he figures to be an immediate starter for the Bears at right tackle. A physically gifted offensive lineman with tremendous power and good movement skills for his size, the ceiling is very high for the Tennessee product at the next level. He was the only incoming rookie voted into these rankings.

No. 43: Lions RB David Montgomery

Best: HM (Infante)

Last year: 26

Montgomery was a key component of the Bears’ offense in his first four NFL seasons, tallying 3,609 rushing yards in that span. Now, he heads to a divisional rival in the Detroit Lions, where he figures to split the backfield with first-round rookie Jahmyr Gibbs.

No. 42: Vikings RB Alexander Mattison

Best: HM (Zimmerman)

Last year: N/A

If the Minnesota Vikings deal Dalvin Cook (who, spoiler alert, will appear in these rankings later), Mattison figures to be the new full-time starter. He’s fared quite well in Cook’s absence, tallying 5 games with 90 or more rushing yards with Minnesota.

No. 41: Lions EDGE James Houston IV

Best: HM (Infante)

Last year: N/A

Houston exploded onto the scene as a pass-rushing phenom in his 2022 rookie year. An undrafted free agent out of Jackson State who only played in 7 games last year, he finished with an insane 8 sacks, giving him the second-most sacks of any rookie in the NFL.

No. 40: Packers CB Rasul Douglas

Best: HM (Infante, Zimmerman)

Last year: 31

Douglas was a lot more boom-or-bust in 2022 — he allowed 6 touchdowns and an 88.5 passer rating, as opposed to 2 touchdowns and a 44.5 rating in 2021 — but the ball production was still there. He’s had 9 interceptions and 26 pass breakups in the last two seasons and has solidified himself as a solid piece for Green Bay’s secondary.

No. 39: Bears RB Khalil Herbert

Best: HM (Infante, Zimmerman)

Last year: N/A

Herbert takes the reins in the Bears’ backfield after a strong 2022 that saw him lead all running backs with 5.7 yards per carry. After tallying 731 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground in 13 games last year, he looks to keep his crown amidst a loaded Chicago running back room.

No. 38: Packers EDGE Preston Smith

Best: HM (Infante, Zimmerman)

Last year: N/A

Smith finished with 8.5 sacks for the Green Bay Packers in 2022, bringing him up to 33.5 sacks in his four seasons in Green Bay. He’s been a quality pass-rusher for some time for their defense, and as he enters 9th seasons in the NFL, he hasn’t shown too many signs of slowing down just yet.

No. 37: Packers LB Quay Walker

Best: 30 (Householder)

Last year: 44

Walker finished with the same amount of points as Smith, but Sam putting him in the top 30 gives the linebacker the tiebreaker. Walker finished up his 2022 rookie season with 121 tackles and 7 pass deflections, and he allowed just 53.3% of targets thrown his way to be completed. The potential is there for him to take a big step in 2023.

No. 36: Bears TE Cole Kmet

Best: 28 (Householder)

Last year: N/A

Kmet has had 1,156 receiving yards in the last two seasons, and after finishing the 2021 season with no touchdowns, he came into his own with 7 touchdowns in 2022. As he enters a crucial contract year, the Notre Dame alumnus looks to solidify himself as one of the better tight ends in the NFL.