2025 All-NFC North Preseason Team: Byron Murphy Jr. narrowly misses top spot

The votes are in at cornerback for the 2025 All-NFC North Preseason Team, and it's a strong outlook for the Chicago Bears and a reason for the Green Bay Packers to be concerned.

The Bears landed three of the top six cornerbacks in the vote, which was conducted by our panel of four NFC North On SI correspondents. Jaylon Johnson earned the No. 1 spot, though it was clearly a conversation between him, Minnesota's Byron Murphy Jr. and Detroit's prized free agent acquisition D.J. Reed.

Three of the top six corners, based on the vote, belong to the Bears. The highest-rated Packers corner is Nate Hobbs, who snuck in at No. 6. Full voting results:

1. Jaylon Johnson, Chicago Bears

The leader of the Bears secondary and their entire defense going into his sixth season, Johnson seems well suited to how they'll play in 2025 after two straight Pro Bowls and two more interceptions in 2024. Teams have targeted him only about three times a game since 2021 as his reputation spread. Johnson arrived as a rookie in 2020 wanting to prove his lockdown ability but was actually hampered by the team's heavy zone coverage systems. Along the way, the Bears decided he could handle top opposing receivers one-on-one and they let him go on the island. Now, all of them will be in man-to-man coverage more often in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's scheme and there should be no adjustment on Johnson's end. Like all of the Bears defenders, he's looking to bounce back to an extent as the 66.1% completions he did allow last year in coverage was a career high. — Gene Chamberlain, Bears On SI

2. Byron Murphy Jr., Minnesota Vikings

After cashing in on a contract in free agency, Murphy returns to the Vikings as the unquestioned No. 1 cornerback. That's a big deal that comes with a lot of pressure to live up to the hype in a Vikings defense that didn't bring back veteran cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Shaq Griffin. 

Murphy is the only player in the cornerback room who seems like a sure thing for the Vikings. They'll also be relying on newcomers Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah, along with former second-round Mehki Blackmon, who is coming back from a torn AC. Dwight McGlothern, a promising undrafted member of the 2024 rookie class, could also find a role. 

Murphy finished 2024-25 first among corners and tied for third in the league overall in interceptions with six, only behind division foes Kerby Joseph and Xavier McKinney. He added 81 tackles, 14 passes defended and one forced fumble en route to his first career Pro Bowl selection. —