Notes: Lions players dominate ESPN’s All-Youngster roster

Detroit Lions players made up 18% of ESPN’s list of the best NFL players under 24 years old.

Youth is the name of the game in the NFL. General managers chase young players for their roster because they’re both cheaper and improve the stock and long-term health of their franchise.

That’s clearly the strategy Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has been following since taking over the team in 2021. He built up draft capital, shed the books of pricey veterans, and since then, the Lions have been one of the youngest teams in football.

According to a recent ESPN piece from Matt Miller and Matt Bowen, the Lions have also done an incredible job finding talented young players . The ESPN duo created a 22-player roster of the best NFL talent under 24 years old, as well as a second-team.

In total, the Lions had four players make the list: tight end Sam LaPorta, right tackle Penei Sewell (ESPN puts him at left tackle to fit Darnell Wright on the team), edge defender Aidan Hutchinson and linebacker Jack Campbell. To be clear, all four of those players were first-team selections, meaning Detroit accounted for four of 22 players—or 18 percent of the entire list.

What’s even more promising is there are a few Lions players that very well could have made the list. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs is only 21 years old, and his statistical output is actually very close to that of ESPN’s selection: Bijan Robinson.

Note: Robinson has played 496 snaps, Gibbs has played 379.

Jahmyr Gibbs: 109 carries, 566 yards (5.2 YPC), 5 TDs; 41 catches 278 yards
Bijan Robinson: 141 carries, 703 yards (5.0 YPC), 3 TDs; 32 catches, 240 yards, 3 TDs

The list also does not include 22-year-old Brian Branch, who has 51 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six passes defended, and a pick six in his rookie season. Players like Alim McNeill (23 yards old), Jameson Williams (22), Kerby Joseph (23), and Josh Paschal (23) all figure to be central figures in this team’s future and have flashed the ability to be not just good, but great.

In short, the future remains very bright for this squad. Check out ESPN’s full squad of under-24 players here.

• Dan Campbell said this week that every good team goes through adversity during the season, but is that actually true? Justin Rogers of the Detroit News looked at each 10-win team over the past three years to see how many went through tough stretches (spoiler: almost all of them).

• You want another sign this year is different? Per MLive, the Lions’ current 2.5-game lead in the NFC North is the franchise’s biggest in December in nearly 70 years:

• Our old pal Mike Payton did a film breakdown of just how much extra attention Aidan Hutchinson is getting right now.

• The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced 25 semifinalists for the modern-day class of 2024 . Technically, there are two Lions on the list (Anquan Boldin, Dwight Freeney), but those two only played a single season in Detroit.

• Despite Thursday’s struggles, the Lions offensive line is still kicking a lot of butt this season:

• 2024 PRO BOWL VOTING IS OPEN ! Vote for your favorite and most deserving Lions there.

• Once again, officiating has become a huge topic in the NFL. I thought this conversation between Rich Eisen and former NFL VP of Officiating Dean Blandino was enlightening:

• For Saints week: our friends at Canal Street Chronicles and The Falcons (bitter rivals) are raising money for Tackle ALS and Team Gleason . Why don’t we show them how generous and spirited Lions fans are with a donation of your own. (You’ll have to pick a side).

Click here to donate to Tackle ALS (for Falcons support) or here for Team Gleason (Saints)