The Detroit Lions’ roster is stacked… but it’s also good in just about every phase of the game.
I’m certain just the title of this article will bring some emotional reactions from some, but it says something that this is a legitimate question for the Detroit Lions roster. The truth of the matter is that the Lions roster remains stacked, and it’s not just at specific positions. It’s front to back.
Case in point: PFF dropped their 2025 NFL positional rankings this past month , and the Lions had representation at just about every single position when it comes to the top-10. Take a look:
QB: 9th (Jared Goff)
RB: 4th (Jahmyr Gibbs)
WR: 4th (Amon-Ra St. Brown)
TE: 5th (Sam LaPorta)
OT: 6th (Penei Sewell)
G: [None]
C: [None]
DT: 13th, 22nd (Alim McNeill, DJ Reader)
EDGE: 5th (Aidan Hutchinson)
LB: 8th (Jack Campbell)
CB: 6th (D.J. Reed)
S: 5th, 6th (Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph)
So the Lions barely missed out on the top-10 at defensive tackle, they’re short a top-10 center after theirs suddenly retired earlier this offseason, and they don’t have a top-10 guard after letting one (Kevin Zeitler, ranked 9th) walk in free agency. In essence, you could argue that this team literally had a top-10 player at every position before the offseason hit.
Can you still make that argument, though?
That brings us to today’s Question of the Day:
Do the Detroit Lions have a top-10 player at every position?
Answer: No, but I think an argument could still be made.
Obviously, center is the toughest position to rationalize having a top-10 player. They don’t, and probably won’t for at least a couple years. Tate Ratledge could have that potential, but with his only experience being an emergency option at Georgia, his development is going to take some time, and we have no idea where his career will end up.
At guard, you could make an argument for Graham Glasgow. Let us not forget that in 2023, Glasgow finished eighth in PFF grade (he would end up ranking 27th on PFF’s offseason list in 2024 ), and while last year was a disappointment, he was dealing with significant injuries. If you really wanted to stretch the truth, an argument could be made for Christian Mahogany. Ignoring snap minimums, Mahogany finished with the third-best PFF grade among guards, earning a 91.5 grade—but on only 144 total snaps
As for defensive tackle, the hope is that Alim McNeill can remain in that conversation after tearing his ACL last year. However, it’s fair to expect that even when he comes back midseason, he likely won’t be at his best. Of course, the Lions just invested a first-round pick at the position. Can Tyleik Williams impress enough in his rookie season to take a jump into next year’s top-10 list? It’s probably too early for that.
However, the overall point still stands. Even at the positions the Lions don’t appear to have a top-10 player, they have young talent that has the potential to work their way into that conversation eventually.
It’s just another reminder that this roster is very impressive.