The top 10 players on the Detroit Lions’ 2024 roster, ranked

On coaching camp eve, we now have reached the finale of our rankings of the Detroit Lions’ 2024 roster. This 12 months’s high 10 options six gamers who made final 12 months’s record, seven gamers who have been drafted by present common supervisor Brad Holmes, and 7 gamers listed are 24 years or youthful. The common age of Detroit’s top-10 gamers is simply 24.8 years outdated, which means we may very well be seeing these names atop the record for a very long time.

Earlier than we get into it, compensate for the earlier 79 gamers right here:

Beforehand:

10. Alim McNeill, DT (Highest rating: 8, Lowest rating: 13)

Final 12 months’s rating: 11 (up 1)

McNeill makes his debut within the high 10 after simply lacking out final 12 months. The fourth-year defensive sort out is coming off his finest season—each statistically and by the attention check. Not solely did he set profession highs in sacks (5.0), and QB hits (10), however he additionally produced a PFF grade (86.8) that ranked him seventh amongst all gamers at his place. With DJ Reader now within the fold, McNeill has all the things arrange for a monster season in a contract 12 months.

9. Taylor Decker, OT (Highest rating: 7, Lowest rating: 13)

Final 12 months’s rating: 5 (down 4)

Decker drops 4 spots in our rankings, however that doubtless has extra to do along with his age and an bettering roster than his efficiency on the sphere. Whereas Decker did enable eight sacks final 12 months (per PFF)—probably the most of his profession—he nonetheless produced a decent 79.4 move blocking grade (twelfth amongst OTs) and the second-highest run blocking grade (73.9) of his profession.

8. Brian Department, DB (Highest rating: 5, Lowest rating: 8)

Final 12 months’s rating: 27 (up 19)

Department barely made our top-30 record as a rookie, however as quickly as coaching camp hit, all of us knew we had made a mistake. I had even famous throughout camp that Department could also be within the dialog for the staff’s finest defensive participant. Nicely, coming into 12 months 2, there’s solely a single defensive participant we now have ranked larger, and with Department’s position anticipated to extend in 2024, a sure defensive finish higher watch his again.

7. Jared Goff, QB (Highest rating: 4, Lowest rating: 10)

Final 12 months’s rating: 8 (up 1)

The place Goff lands on this rating is at all times a scorching subject for debate. Three of our 11 staffers had Goff in our high 5, whereas three had him between eight and 10. No matter what you consider Goff, he’s confirmed within the final 2.5 years that he can thrive on this offense. He’s statistically been a top-10 (arguably top-five) quarterback within the league since Thanksgiving of 2021.

6. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB (Highest rating: 4, Lowest rating: 10)

Final 12 months’s rating: 12 (up 6)

Gibbs exploded onto the scene his rookie season by posting 945 speeding yards, 316 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns regardless of a close to 50/50 cut up within the backfield with David Montgomery. With plans to broaden his route tree this 12 months, Gibbs’ potential is way larger in 12 months 2. And that’s a scary factor when he completed the season ranked third in yards per carry (5.2), second in yards after contact per try (2.5), and t-ninth in damaged tackles (21).

5. Sam LaPorta, TE (Highest rating: 5, Lowest rating: 11)

Final 12 months’s rating: 20 (up 15)

Nearly as good as Gibbs’ rookie season was, LaPorta one way or the other one-upped him. The previous Iowa tight finish shattered a laundry record of information for the Lions, and most impressively, he set the NFL document for receptions by a rookie tight finish (86). He’s already turn out to be a centerpiece of the offense, and that must be terrifying for opposing defenses.

4. Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE (Highest rating: 3, Lowest rating: 5)

Final 12 months’s rating: 4 (no change)

This 12 months’s high 4 stay the identical, however in a distinct order. Hutchinson stays at his spot at 4 regardless of having an unbelievable 2023 season. The soar from 53 pressures to 101 is totally mind-boggling, and his 91.0 PFF grade (eighth amongst EDGEs) proves Hutchinson is already amongst the perfect gamers at one of the crucial gifted defensive positions in soccer. With some extra inside defender assist this 12 months, it’s doable Hutchinson blows by his 11.5-sack quantity from final 12 months.

3. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR (Highest rating: 2, Lowest rating: 4)

Final 12 months’s rating: t-1 (down 2)

Don’t let him see this, however St. Brown drops two spots in our rankings this 12 months. Clearly, it has little or no to do along with his All-Professional efficiency final 12 months. As detailed in “Receiver,” St. Brown battled by some grotesque early-season accidents and produced top-of-the-line seasons by a Lions receiver in a while. His 119 catches are third-best in franchise historical past, his 1,515 yards have been fourth-best, and he’s now simply the second Lions receiver in historical past to document back-to-back 100-reception seasons.

2. Frank Ragnow, C (Highest rating: 2, Lowest rating: 3)

Final 12 months’s rating: 3 (up 1)

Ragnow climbs a spot within the rankings this 12 months, and it’s attention-grabbing to take a position why. Maybe it’s the retirement of Jason Kelce paving the best way for Ragnow to assert “finest heart within the league.” Possibly it’s Ragnow’s heroic performances as he continues to battle damage after damage. Possibly it’s simply because Ragnow is a rattling good participant and one of the crucial essential positions on offense. Right here’s the place Ragnow has ranked in PFF grade amongst his heart friends, by 12 months:

2023: 88.8 — first
2022: 77.9 — fifth
2021: 86.7 — second (solely performed 4 video games)
2020: 80.3 — second

The person has performed constantly as a top-two heart within the league, and he could now not be second.

1. Penei Sewell, OT (Highest rating: 1, Lowest rating: 1)

Final 12 months’s rating: t-1

Penei Sewell is our unanimous high participant on the Lions, and I don’t assume I have to waste any time justifying it. As an alternative, let’s simply watch as many Penei Sewell highlights as we bodily can.