All-NFC North Team: Reed Earns Second-Team Spot at Receiver

The first-team receivers on the all-NFC North team are the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Bears’ D.J. Moore.

Green Bay Packers receiver Jayden Reed is one of the top pass-catchers in the NFC North. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson ran away with the receiver vote for SI.com’s All-NFC North team, while Green Bay Packers standout Jayden Reed was a second-team choice.

Bill Huber from Packers on SI, John Maakaron from Lions on SI, Gene Chamberlain from Bears on SI and Joe Nelson from Vikings on SI each picked five receivers. Jefferson earned all four of the first-place votes for four points. The Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown, who the Packers could have drafted rather than Amari Rodgers in 2021, garnered all four of the second-place votes for eight points. The Bears’ D.J. Moore was named on all four ballots (two for third place, two for fourth place for 14 points) to earn the final first-team spot.

The second team consisted of the Bears’ Keenan Allen (two third-place votes, one fourth-place vote but omitted on my ballot), Reed (three fifth-place votes) and the Vikings’ Jordan Addison (one fourth-place vote, one fifth-place vote).

Reed is coming off a tremendous debut season in which he broke Sterling Sharpe’s franchise record for most receptions by a rookie.

The sixth receiver selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, Reed in 16 games finished sixth in the draft class with 64 receptions, fifth with 793 yards, second with eight touchdowns and fourth with 2.05 yards per route. Reed ran sharp routes, caught the ball well (three drops), made big plays and played with toughness.

In the process, he became the first rookie in NFL history with at least 60 receptions, 750 receiving yards, eight receiving touchdowns, 100 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

“He is a dog. He’s a war daddy,” coach Matt LaFleur said after a November victory over the Chargers. “He’s such a competitor.”

On a team that is perceived to not have a No. 1 receiver, Reed could be recognized as such by the end of the season. Already, he’s one of the best slots in the league.  

Here are the all-NFC North Team’s first-team receivers, as written by their team publishers.

Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson

Remember when Jefferson won the Offensive Player of the Year award in 2022 and was a finalist for league MVP? He led the NFL that season with 128 catches and 1,808 yards, averaging 106.9 yards per game. Would you believe that he was on pace to beat those numbers before he suffered a hamstring injury in Week 5 of 2023?

Through four games last season, Jefferson had 33 receptions for 543 yards. That pace had him on track for 140 catches and 2,307 yards. It's easy to say he probably couldn't have maintained that breakneck pace for 17 games, but after he missed two months and was fully healthy for the last four games of the season, all he did was rack up 30 more catches for 476 yards. Oh, and Nick Mullens, not Kirk Cousins, was throwing the football those four games. 

Jefferson was fully healthy for eight of the 10 games he played, and in those eight contests he totaled 63 catches for 1,019 yards and five touchdowns. That ridiculous pace might not have been sustainable to the tune of 2,300 yards, but there is no reason to doubt that Jefferson wasn't poised to become the first 2,000-yard receiver in NFL history. 

Jefferson was paid like the king of wide receivers because he is the king. There's nobody better and the gap between him and the next best in the league is larger than most think. 

Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown

For St. Brown, the first three years of his career have been marked by significant improvement each year. As a rookie, he finished the year on a torrid pace and looked to be a star in the making. The following year, he took that expected jump. In 2023, he took yet another leap and ascended to All-Pro status.

Now, there’s no doubts about what the 2021 fourth-round pick can bring to the Lions’ offense. Known mostly for his work as a slot receiver, St. Brown has proven he can play on the outside, as well. He’s a true multifaceted pass-catcher and belongs in the conversation amongst the league’s best.

He’s an excellent route-runner and has proven to be nearly unguardable on third downs, as he possesses a savvy for eluding defenders and finding ways to get open. He has an insatiable work ethic and will likely continue to play at a high level after being rewarded with a four-year extension.

Through three seasons, St. Brown has amassed 315 receptions for 3,588 yards. In NFL history, he ranks first in receptions and second in yards among players in their first three seasons. Last year, he surpassed 1,500 receiving yards for the first time and scored 10 touchdowns. With another strong season, he will continue to mark his place among the league’s elite.

Chicago Bears WR D.J. Moore

The top Bears receiver faces a different situation this season. So, what else is new?

They acquired Moore in the trade that keeps on giving when they dealt away the first pick of the 2022 draft. His first season only indicated how valuable he can be in a season like this one, when they have a different quarterback firing passes in a new offense.

Moore’s entire career in Carolina was with five different offensive coordinators and 10 quarterbacks passing and three systems. So, the switch in Chicago with a new attack and quarterback was no mysterious challenge. And now it won’t be again this year as he adjusts to playing alongside talented receivers like Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze while chasing Caleb Williams’ throws.

Moore’s strength has always been the catch and run, but being open enough to achieve this when he attracted most of the coverage last year was a Bears problem. With other receivers on board, look for Moore to make fewer catches but gain more yards, something like in 2020, when his catches declined from 87 to 66 but his yards per catch soared from 13.5 to a career-high 18.1. That receiving corps also had Robbie Chosen (formerly Anderson) and Curtis Samuel in a loaded receiver corps, much like the Bears now have Allen and Odunze.

More Green Bay Packers News

Part 2 of our all-NFC North team featured a close vote between former #Packers star Aaron Jones and his replacement, Josh Jacobs, at running back. ⬇️https://t.co/IC7bGWdxJE

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 7, 2024

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