DETAILS: The Detroit Lions’ 2024 roster’s top ten players, ordered

Here is a ranking of the top 10 Detroit Lions players for the 2024 squad.

We’ve reached the final spot in our rankings of the Detroit Lions’ 2024 roster on training camp eve. Six players from last year’s list are in the top 10, along with seven players selected by current general manager Brad Holmes and seven players who are 24 years of age or younger. The top 10 players in Detroit are only 24.8 years old on average, therefore it’s possible that these players will remain at the top of the list for a very long time.

Get caught up on the previous 79 players here before we get started:

Before:

Participants 89–81
80-71 players
Players 70–61
60-51 players
Players 50–41
Participants 40–31
Players 30–21
Participants 20–11
10. The DT Alim McNeill (Rankings from highest to lowest: 8–13)
Ranking from previous year: 11 (up 1)

McNeill, who narrowly missed out on the top 10 last year, makes his debut. The fourth-year defensive tackle just finished what was statistically and visually his best season. In addition to setting career highs in sacks (5.0) and QB hits (10), he also generated a PFF grade (86.8) that placed him sixth out of all players at his position. Now that DJ Reader is a part of the team, McNeill is primed for a breakout season during his contract year.

9. Taylor Decker, overtime (ranked 7th highest, 13th lowest)
Previous year’s position: 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 player. 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.