The 2024 top 100 NFL players list is out. Which Detroit Lions player was most disrespected by their ranking?
Over three years ago, Brad Holmes was put in charge of buying the groceries, and Dan Campbell tasked with cooking the meals. Since then, NFL.com’ s list of the top 100 players in the league has included more and more Honolulu blue in their rankings.
This year, so far, the list includes five Lions players: Sam LaPorta (80), Jared Goff (48), Aidan Hutchinson (47), Amon-Ra St. Brown (23), and Penei Sewell (22). That’s likely going to be it as the rankings are headed into the top 10, but that certainly leaves a handful of snubs like Frank Ragnow, Jahmyr Gibbs, or even Brian Branch.
With those names in mind, let’s consider today’s Question of the Day…
Which Lions player was most underrated on NFL’s Top 100 list?
Interestingly enough, I don’t take umbrage with most of these rankings. LaPorta might be a bit low at 80, and he’s a shoo-in to make a huge jump like St. Brown made from 2022 to 2023 (67 to 23).
Ragnow’s impending snub, while dumb, isn’t surprising. It comes with the territory of playing on the interior of the offensive line—only two have made the list so far in Chris Lindstrom (88) and Zack Martin (53). Ragnow belongs in the top 100 as the best center in football, so that’s probably the most egregious part of this list.
Of the five players actually to make the list, Sewell definitely deserves to be higher on the list.
“Sewell appeared to be a sure thing at No. 7 overall in the 2021 draft, and through three years he sure has been,” NFL.com’s write-up states.
“The anchor to Detroit’s pugnacious offense, Sewell led the way last season for an operation that finished fifth in rushing yards and first in scores on the ground. His efforts—he was PFF’s highest-rated tackle overall (91.3) and best run blocker by three points (93.1)—resulted in his first All-Pro nod and second straight Pro Bowl .”
The highest-rated and best run-blocking tackle according to PFF and still just 23 years old can’t crack the top 20? Here are the players inexplicably ranked ahead of Sewell:
• Dak Prescott, who can’t get a contract extension in an offseason when both Goff and Tua Tagovailoa signed for over $200 million respectively, checking in at No. 16 surely won’t look like a gaffe a year from now.
• Jalen Hurts posted the fifth-worst interception rate (2.8%) among quarterbacks with at least 10 games played last year. 20 total turnovers from Hurts in 2023, but he still ranks seven spots higher than Sewell.
• Roquan Smith is one of two off-ball linebackers in the 20-11 range along with Fred Warner. It’s overkill. Smith is really good, great even, but he’s not the best player at his position—a non-premium position at that.
Your turn.