PFF dropped its “top 25 players under 25 years old” list, and the Detroit Lions have more representatives than any other team.
If there’s any one reason to believe that the Detroit Lions ’ recent success is here to stay, it’s their abundance of young talent. It’s one thing to have a talented roster. It’s another when that talent still has a decade of good football ahead of them.
And it’s not just our opinion that Detroit is immensely talented and young. On Monday, PFF put out a list that highlights just how special this roster is. Zoltan Buday published a list of the NFL’s top 25 players under the age of 25 , and a Lions player appears on the list FIVE times. For the mathematically challenged, that’s 20 percent of the entire list. No other team has more than three representatives on the list (Texans ).
Not only do the Lions have the most players on the list, but they also have the best player on the list, according to Buday. Right tackle Penei Sewell comes in at No. 1.
“His 3,359 regular-season snaps over the past three seasons rank second among all players, and he is on his way to becoming the best offensive lineman in the league,” Buday wrote. “The Oregon product’s 92.8 PFF overall grade and 95.1 PFF run-blocking grade both led all NFL offensive linemen in 2023.”
Also appearing on the list are Aidan Hutchinson (No. 6), Amon-Ra St. Brown (11), Sam LaPorta (19), and Jahmyr Gibbs (21).
As if that wasn’t amazing enough, there are two other awesome things to consider. For one, Sewell, Hutchinson, LaPorta, and Gibbs are all young enough to be eligible for this list again next year.
Additionally, there are a couple other young players on this list who are on their way to potentially making this list in the future. Cornerback Brian Branch is only 22 years old and is coming off a strong rookie season. Jameson Williams is only 23 and flashed some of his explosive potential toward the end of last season. And don’t forget first-round picks Jack Campbell (23 years old) and Terrion Arnold (21).
In short, expectations for the Lions right now are sky-high, but the future of this team is just as bright.