With veterans set to report to NFL training camp next week, there’s a cloud of optimism hovering above all 32 facilities across the league.
In Allen Park, that cloud is thicker than it’s ever been. Fresh off an NFC Championship appearance, the Lions believe they’ve improved their roster from a year ago and are ready to make a run at, as head coach Dan Campbell called it, “the whole enchilada.”
In an ESPN survey where NFL executives, coaches and scouts ranked the top 10 players at each position, the Lions, with seven, were tied for the second-most of any franchise — just behind last year’s NFC title game foe, the San Francisco 49ers (nine). Also with seven players were the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.
Here are the Lions who made the cut.
Goff has turned doubters into believers, both inside the Motor City and out. The veteran quarterback was one of the lead figures of Detroit’s 12-5 season and earned himself a modest $170 million guaranteed for his troubles.
But while Lions fans have been banging the drum for their guy since the end of the 2022 season, it appears the rest of the league has caught up, too. Goff placed just behind New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the survey and just ahead of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
One NFL coordinator said Goff is “the best in the NFL at throwing into zone coverage,” while an NFC executive noticed an improvement in his mental makeup, stating “he used to seem nervous in the pocket, but now he’s cool in there.”
Gibbs shook off detractors of his selection at No. 12 overall by churning out a Pro Bowl season with 1,261 yards from scrimmage — 945 of them on the ground — and 11 touchdowns.
In addition to the typical excitement that comes with watching a player go from Year 1 to 2 in the NFL, part of what made Gibbs’ production so impressive is that he wasn’t featured all that much early on in the year. He didn’t even score his first touchdown until Week 7.
One AFC executive surveyed said Gibbs “can break explosive plays at the snap of a finger, which is scary in our league.”
▶ WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (No. 7)
After a Pro Bowl season in 2022, St. Brown firmly established himself as one of the best receivers in the league with a first-team All-Pro season in 2023 where he caught 119 balls for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns, a career high in every category.
St. Brown’s game often faces criticism due to the fact that he doesn’t make a ton of plays near the sideline like a lot of other top receivers in the league. One NFC executive said he’s “more dependent on the scheme than some other receivers on this list” while an NFL coordinator praised his “elite football instincts for the position.”
Like his pick of Gibbs, Lions general manager Brad Holmes shocked everybody by taking LaPorta in the 2023 draft with some other, more highly ranked players at his position on the board. In turn, LaPorta shocked the league.
He set the record for most catches by a rookie tight end while amassing 10 touchdowns, the most of any tight end last season, and 889 receiving yards.
To put it simply, one NFC scout said, “He’s f—ing awesome.”
Through his first three seasons, Sewell has been every bit of the franchise-altering player that some thought he would be after going No. 7 overall in the 2021 draft. On top of a renowned leadership and maturity that’s driving Detroit’s culture, he’s also one of the best run and pass blockers in the NFL.
“Some OTs are great pass blockers but average in the run game,” one AFC executive said. “He’s elite in both phases. Very consistent. Plays with an edge.”
Sewell secured first-team All-Pro honors this past season and his second Pro Bowl appearance.
Ragnow is not only one of the most important players on Detroit’s offensive line, he’s also one of the toughest.
His laundry list of injuries — it was common to see four different body parts on the injury report each week — was a knock against his ranking, but when healthy, there are few better in the NFL.
“He’s still one of our top 5-6 interior players at this stage,” a lead NFL scout said.
▶ EDGE Aidan Hutchinson (No. 6)
Hutchinson has posted two uber-productive seasons since joining Detroit as the No. 2 pick in 2022, and there’s belief that 2024 is the year he becomes a true monster capable single-handedly wrecking an opponent’s game plan.
He has 21 sacks through his first two seasons and finished 2023 with 101 pressures (second in the league behind Micah Parsons) and a pass-rush win rate of 21.3% (sixth).
An NFL scouting director is “banking on him getting even better” and called him “the next Nick Bosa,” who ranked fourth on the list.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
@nolanbianchi
