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

Here are the top 10 Detroit Lions players on the 2024 roster, ranked.

On training camp eve, we have reached the finale of our rankings of the Detroit Lions ’ 2024 roster. This year’s top 10 features six players who made last year’s list , seven players who were drafted by current general manager Brad Holmes, and seven players listed are 24 years or younger. The average age of Detroit’s top-10 players is just 24.8 years old, meaning we could be seeing these names atop the list for a long time.

Before we get into it, catch up on the previous 79 players here:

Previously:

• Players 89-81
• Players 80-71
• Players 70-61
• Players 60-51
• Players 50-41
• Players 40-31
• Players 30-21
• Players 20-11

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

Last year’s ranking: 11 (up 1)

McNeill makes his debut in the top 10 after just missing out last year. The fourth-year defensive tackle is coming off his best season—both statistically and by the eye test. Not only did he set career highs in sacks (5.0), and QB hits (10), but he also produced a PFF grade (86.8) that ranked him seventh among all players at his position. With DJ Reader now in the fold, McNeill has everything set up for a monster season in a contract year.

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

Last year’s ranking: 5 (down 4)

Decker drops four spots in our rankings, but that likely has more to do with his age and an improving roster than his performance on the field. While Decker did allow eight sacks last year (per PFF)—the most of his career—he still produced a respectable 79.4 pass blocking grade (12th among OTs) and the second-highest run blocking grade (73.9) of his career.

8. Brian Branch, DB (Highest ranking: 5, Lowest ranking: 8)

Last year’s ranking: 27 (up 19)

Branch barely made our top-30 list as a rookie, but as soon as training camp hit, we all knew we had made a mistake. I had even noted during camp that Branch may be in the conversation for the team’s best defensive playe r. Well, entering Year 2, there’s only a single defensive player we have ranked higher, and with Branch’s role expected to increase in 2024, a certain defensive end better watch his back.

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

Last year’s ranking: 8 (up 1)

Where Goff lands in this ranking is always a hot topic for debate. Three of our 11 staffers had Goff in our top five, while three had him between eight and 10. Regardless of what you think of Goff, he’s proven in the last 2.5 years that he can thrive in this offense. He’s statistically been a top-10 (arguably top-five) quarterback in the league since Thanksgiving of 2021 .

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

Last year’s ranking: 12 (up 6)

Gibbs exploded onto the scene his rookie season by posting 945 rushing yards, 316 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns despite a near 50/50 split in the backfield with David Montgomery. With plans to expand his route tree this year, Gibbs’ potential is much higher in Year 2. And that’s a scary thing when he finished the season ranked third in yards per carry (5.2), second in yards after contact per attempt (2.5), and t-ninth in broken tackles (21).

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

Last year’s ranking: 20 (up 15)

As good as Gibbs’ rookie season was, LaPorta somehow one-upped him. The former Iowa tight end shattered a laundry list of records for the Lions, and most impressively, he set the NFL record for receptions by a rookie tight end (86). He’s already become a centerpiece of the offense, and that should be terrifying for opposing defenses.

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

Last year’s ranking: 4 (no change)

This year’s top four remain the same, but in a different order. Hutchinson stays at his spot at four despite having an incredible 2023 season. The jump from 53 pressures to 101 is absolutely mind-boggling, and his 91.0 PFF grade (eighth among EDGEs) proves Hutchinson is already amongst the best players at one of the most talented defensive positions in football. With some more interior defender help this year, it’s possible Hutchinson blows by his 11.5-sack number from last year.

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

Last year’s ranking: t-1 (down 2)

Don’t let him see this, but St. Brown drops two spots in our rankings this year. Obviously, it has very little to do with his All-Pro performance last year. As detailed in “Receiver,” St. Brown battled through some gruesome early-season injuries and produced one of the best seasons by a Lions receiver in some time. His 119 catches are third-best in franchise history, his 1,515 yards were fourth-best, and he is now just the second Lions receiver in history to record back-to-back 100-reception seasons.

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

Last year’s ranking: 3 (up 1)

Ragnow climbs a spot in the rankings this year, and it’s interesting to speculate why. Perhaps it’s the retirement of Jason Kelce paving the way for Ragnow to claim “best center in the league.” Maybe it’s Ragnow’s heroic performances as he continues to battle injury after injury. Maybe it’s just because Ragnow is a damn good player and one of the most important positions on offense. Here’s where Ragnow has ranked in PFF grade among his center peers, by year:

• 2023: 88.8 — first
• 2022: 77.9 — fifth
• 2021: 86.7 — second (only played four games)
• 2020: 80.3 — second

The man has played consistently as a top-two center in the league, and he may no longer be second.

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

Last year’s ranking: t-1

Penei Sewell is our unanimous top player on the Lions, and I don’t think I need to waste any time justifying it. Instead, let’s just watch as many Penei Sewell highlights as we physically can.