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There was a shift in the NFC North this past season that saw the Minnesota Vikings take the top spot. The Detroit Lions also had a tremendous rise this season, finishing second in the division with a 9-8 record. Although they went 3-14, the Chicago Bears have found their franchise quarterback in Justin Fields to provide optimism going forward. For the Green Bay Packers, questions have appeared for their offense, but their defense still remains a top unit. From the 2022 season, each team had a player standout that wasn’t the quarterback to help give them a boost and be the non-quarterback MVP. These are those players.
Minnesota Vikings: Justin Jefferson
To be in consideration for the actual MVP award, you are most certainly also the MVP for your team. It was a spectacular season yet again from Justin Jefferson, with plenty of highlight reel catches that could be considered catch of the year worthy. Jefferson was the heart of this Vikings’ offense with his 1,857 receiving yards, 639 yards after the catch, 83 first downs created, and eight touchdowns over 135 receptions. Jefferson did this despite defenses knowing he was going to be the focal point of the offense for the Vikings. He continues to find ways to elevate his game and was a key contributor to the Vikings winning the NFC North in 2022.
Detroit Lions: Jamaal Williams
The Detroit offense was a scoring machine in 2022, and their run game was a huge factor for that. They had the 11th most rush yards with 2,179 and third most rushing touchdowns with 23. A leading contributor to this rushing attack was the emergence of Jamaal Williams. In 2022, Williams had 1,066 rush yards, created 729 yards after contact, forced 30 missed tackles, and had 17 touchdowns. Williams became a reliable option on offense for the Lions to go to on the ground, and because of that, he earns the team MVP for 2022.
Chicago Bears: David Montgomery
The focus of the Bears’ offense in 2022 was the run game, a lot of that came from Justin Fields, but David Montgomery also made major contributions. Of his 801 yards, 582 came after contact, showing just how many extra yards he gained behind a not so great offensive line. It’s the other contributions Montgomery made as well that don’t show up on the stat sheet to make him the team MVP. With the offensive line not the best, Montgomery stepped up as a blocker both for Fields as a runner and a passer. Over 54 pass blocking snaps, Montgomery only allowed one sack and four total pressures.
Green Bay Packers: Jaire Alexander
The pass defense for the Packers was among the best as they allowed the sixth-fewest yards with 3,349, and only 22 touchdowns. The main star of this secondary was, you guessed it, Jaire Alexander. In 2022 Alexander was targeted 71 times only to allow 43 receptions for 572 yards and two touchdowns while creating five interceptions and eight pass breakups. Also of the 572 yards allowed, only 188 came after the catch, so he was once again great at limiting yards. Alexander is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and continues to play at a high level for the Packers.
