{"id":292950,"date":"2026-07-20T12:00:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T16:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=292950"},"modified":"2026-07-20T07:48:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T11:48:14","slug":"nfc-north-linebackers-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2026\/07\/20\/nfc-north-linebackers-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranking the Top NFC North Linebackers For 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are plenty of great NFC North linebackers heading into the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

Even though it is now loaded with explosive offenses, there are still several NFC North linebackers who can have the North live up to its “Black and Blue”<\/a> nickname from the old NFC Central days. Whether it’s stuffing the run, getting to the quarterback, or creating a game-changing turnover, NFC North linebackers will make their presence felt throughout the season.<\/p>\n

The NFC North is set to be possibly the NFL’s best in 2026. All four teams have the talent to become Kings of the North this season. Although the Chicago Bears <\/a><\/span>won the division in 2025, ending the Detroit Lions<\/a>‘ <\/span>two-year reign, the Green Bay Packers <\/a><\/span>and Minnesota Vikings <\/a><\/span>will likely make the North a legit four<\/p>\n

-team race all the way until the season’s end.<\/p>\n

The NFC North linebackers will certainly have a big say as to who conquers the division this year. Each team boasts at least one LB who ranks as one of the division’s top-5 at the position.<\/p>\n

Let’s see who they are.<\/p>\n

The Best NFC North Linebackers For 2026<\/h2>\n

5. Blake Cashman, Minnesota Vikings<\/h3>\n

Cashman is the Vikings’ premier tackling machine. Anchoring the middle of Brian Flores’ defense, the 30-year-old veteran recorded 144 total tackles in 2025. Cashman threw in a pair of sacks to boot. Entering his third season in Minnesota, the former Houston Texans<\/a><\/span> and New York Jets <\/a><\/span>wears the green dot for the Vikings’ defense, and his vocal leadership and consistency rub off on the entire unit.<\/p>\n

Over his first seasons with the Vikings, Cashman has missed seven total games with injuries. His absence on the field caused the entire defense to slide. The Vikings are 20-7 in the games Cashman has played and only 3-4 in the games he has not. The team has also given up 18 more rushing yards\/game without Cashman (123 to 105), and almost a full two points more in the games he has missed than the ones he has played (21.0 to 19.2).<\/p>\n

It is very easy to see the difference that having Cashman makes to the Vikings’ defense, and why he is one of the best NFC North linebackers.<\/p>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n

4. Devin Bush, Chicago Bears<\/h3>\n

Once considered a draft bust after his disappointing tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bush rejuvenated his career over the last two seasons as a member of the Cleveland Browns<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

The only division newcomer on the list, Bush, gives the NFC North linebackers another playmaker who can be a game-wrecker.<\/p>\n

Last season in Cleveland, Bush amassed 125 total tackles, had a pair each of sacks and forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. However, he really flashed his game-changing skills with three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. Now in Chicago, the division’s offensive coordinators and quarterbacks will need to know where Bush is on every snap. If they lose sight of him, he can make them pay in a big way.<\/p>\n

Bush’s knack for making the big play clearly makes him a top NFC North Linebacker.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

3. Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers<\/h3>\n

Edgerrin Cooper is not only one of the premier NFC North linebackers, but he is also one of the youngest.<\/p>\n

At only 24 years old, Cooper is entering his third season with the Packers and has already made his mark as one of the best linebackers in the entire league. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN recently released a list of the 10 best off-ball linebackers in the NFL,<\/a> as ranked by league coaches, execs, and scouts, and has Cooper ranked ninth. Cooper was the second-youngest on the list, trailing only the Browns’ Carson Schwesinger.<\/p>\n

In his short time in Green Bay, Cooper has become one of the most consistent LBs in the league. His 75.7 overall grade from PFF<\/a> ranked 16th among 88 qualifying linebackers, and his 76.5 coverage grade ranked seventh.<\/p>\n

Cooper still has his best football in front of him, and he looks to be one of the best NFC North linebackers for a very long time.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

2. Andrew Van Ginkel, Minnesota Vikings<\/h3>\n

In his two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Van Ginkel has become a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.<\/p>\n

Van Ginkel exploded for 11.5 sacks in his first year in Minnesota, nearly doubling his previous career-high of six. He earned AP Second-Team All-Pro honors<\/a> and was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, Van Ginkel missed five games with a neck injury and concussion last season, but picked up right where he left off when he returned.<\/p>\n

He finished the 2025 season with seven sacks in only 12 games and continued to be a menace that quarterbacks badly struggled to deal with.<\/p>\n

Now healthy, Van Ginkel is looking to return to his All-Pro level in 2026 and may be the most lethal weapon in Brian Flores’ terrific defense. As long as he stays on the field, Van Ginkel will be one of the hardest NFC North linebackers for offenses to contain.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

1. Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions<\/h3>\n

Who else but Campbell would be king of the NFC North linebackers? Since being a widely criticized<\/a> first-round pick in 2023, Campbell has quickly become one of the best players in the entire NFL<\/a>, let alone linebackers.<\/p>\n

Although he had at least one first-place vote, Campbell came in fifth in ESPN’s top-10 rankings, which seems incredibly low<\/a> for a First-Team All-Pro<\/a> who had 176 total tackles in 2025.<\/p>\n

At only 25 years of age, Campbell is just getting started. His ability to be a force in all phases of defense sets him apart from other linebackers across the league. In addition to his 176 tackles, Campbell also had five sacks, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries last season.<\/p>\n

Just barely scratching the surface of what he can accomplish, Campbell and the Lions agreed on a four-year, $81 million contract extension<\/a> this offseason. The deal was a huge win for Detroit<\/a>, ensuring the Lions keep the young leader of their defense through his prime years.<\/p>\n

As Campbell continues to develop, it will be hard for any of the other NFC North linebackers to unseat him as the division’s best.<\/p>\n

If the Lions finally make the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl this season, Campbell will undoubtedly be a major reason why.<\/p>\n

What do you think? Who do you think are the five best NFC North linebackers? Let me know in the comments, or if you disagree with any of my choices.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are plenty of great NFC North linebackers in the 2026 season. Each team boasts at least one LB who ranks as one of the division’s top-5 at the position. Let’s see who they are.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5722,"featured_media":292974,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[36,6431,33916],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-292950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl-news","category-nfl-teams","category-power-rankings"],"modified_by":"Sue Levine","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5722"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=292950"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":292975,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292950\/revisions\/292975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/292974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=292950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=292950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=292950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}