We ranked Detroit Lions by the probability that they return to the Pro Bowl in 2025.
Making one Pro Bowl is an achievement. Making two? Easier said than done.
The NFL Pro Bowl has had many one-hit wonders, such as Tyler Huntley earning a nod in 2022 despite making just four starts or Mitchell Trubisky being carried by his team to a Pro Bowl appearance. Similarly, there have been many well-deserving players that, for one reason or another, have struggled to earn the invitation. Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker was drafted in 2016 and put together many years of excellent play, yet it took until 2024 for him to earn his first invite.
Last season, the Lions had eight Pro Bowlers. Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Frank Ragnow, and Jack Fox were selected as starters at their respective positions, while Jahmyr Gibbs and Brian Branch made the team as reserves. The aforementioned Decker, meanwhile, was nominated as an alternate following Sewell’s withdraw.
We have already discussed some potential new faces that could represent the Lions at the Pro Bowl, but which ones are likely to repeat in 2025?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Detroit Lion is most likely to return to the Pro Bowl next season?
My answer: Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Ranking them from most likely to least:
- Amon-Ra St. Brown: St. Brown is easily a top-five receiver in the NFL, and given that four receivers make the Pro Bowl per conference, that leaves a lot of room for a player of St. Brown’s caliber. He has some competition for best in the conference (Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb to name a few), but it would be very surprising for him to drop out of the NFC top four.
- Jahmyr Gibbs: Gibbs has been tied to the hip of Bijan Robinson given their status as fellow first round picks from 2023. However, I think this is the season he not only elevates himself firmly above Robinson, but also into the conversation for best in the NFL. The biggest factor working against him is volume. Other NFC running backs like Robinson, Saquon Barkley, and Josh Jacobs are bell cows, meaning they might top Gibbs’ totals due to quantity, not quality.
- Penei Sewell: I think Sewell is the best tackle in the NFL, yet the Pro Bowl does not always account for that. Notably, the fan vote has a sizable sway on who gets selected. Unfortunately for Sewell, the NFC is fairly stacked at tackle. Of the four All-Pro selections in 2024, each of them were in the NFC: Sewell, Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata from the Philadelphia Eagles , and Tristan Wirfs from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Because tackles do not have mainstream counting stats like, say, running backs, the national media can lead to an unjust snub.
- Jared Goff: The NFC is surprisingly barren when it comes to elite quarterbacking. Jayden Daniels will look to follow up on a successful rookie campaign, but there are not many quarterbacks better than Goff in the conference. Baker Mayfield and Matthew Stafford are capable veterans, while Jalen Hurts has the benefit of a stacked offense and rushing ability. I’m not sure if Goff finishes in the MVP conversation in 2025, but I think a Pro Bowl is certainly on the table.
- Brian Branch: Branch and Kerby Joseph (a Pro Bowl snub, somehow) are easily the best safety duo in the NFL, but that might work against them when it comes to the Pro Bowl. The Pro Bowl roster is composed of just three safeties per team, and with talented safeties like Xavier McKinney, Budda Baker, Jessie Bates, Antoine Winfield, and Jevon Holland in the same conference, it could be difficult for both Lions safeties to stand out from the crowd—they will need some help from the national media.
- Jack Fox: Punters are fickle to predict when it comes to the Pro Bowl, and with just one punter per conference, there is little room for competition. Between Fox, Bryan Anger, Tress Way, Michael Dickson, it could be a coin flip—when you factor in the talented Lions offense, Fox might not get many opportunities as well.
- Taylor Decker: It was a fantastic moment for Decker to get his first Pro Bowl nod, but it could be his only one. The NFC tackle room, as discussed with Sewell, is stacked, even if you factor in an injury or two. There is always a chance of a late-career renaissance for Decker, but the likelier outcome is that he is a good, but not great tackle for the next few seasons.
- Frank Ragnow: Barring an incredible mid-training camp unretirement, Ragnow has hung up his cleats.
Do you agree with my rankings? Let us know in the comments below.