The Detroit Lions continue to be well-represented on Pro Football Focus’ (PFF) annual top-101 players list. Since Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell’s arrival, the Lions have become one of the NFL’s top teams, bolstered by strong draft classes. This year, the Lions saw a jump from two players in the 2022 rankings to eight players on the 2023 list. For the 2024 season, the Lions had nine players on the list: Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kevin Zeitler, Jahmyr Gibbs, Kerby Joseph, Penei Sewell, Frank Ragnow, and Jack Campbell.
Hutchinson, who was limited by a broken leg early in the season, ranks at No. 86. Had he stayed healthy, he would have likely been in contention for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Despite playing just 280 snaps, Hutchinson posted an impressive 38.3% pass-rush win rate and a 95.0 pass-rush grade, the highest of any player with more than 150 pass-rush snaps.
Campbell, in his second season, earned No. 84 overall after finishing with 131 total tackles. His growth from a rookie who struggled in coverage to a versatile playmaker helped him make the list, with top-10 marks in both run defense and coverage.
Zeitler, at No. 60, had a standout season at guard. He received an 87.2 run-blocking grade (second among all guards) and a third-place finish in overall grade (86.8). Despite being 35 years old, Zeitler remains one of the league’s top guards and is poised to be a key free-agent target.
Branch ranks No. 55 after a stellar sophomore season, following up a fantastic rookie year. The Alabama product led all safeties with a 90.8 run-defense grade and finished second in PFF’s wins-above-replacement metric for safeties.
St. Brown, coming in at No. 49, continued to shine in 2024. He was the most valuable receiver in the NFL based on PFF’s WAR metric, recording 115 catches, 1,263 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns. St. Brown also had the fewest drops among receivers with over 100 catchable targets.
Ragnow, a consistent top performer at center, ranks in the PFF 101 for the third time, finishing second with an 86.1 grade, bolstered by the best run-blocking grade (90.9) among all centers.
Gibbs, who impressed in his second season, ranks among the top running backs, with a 91.4 rushing grade. His quickness and burst were a constant threat, placing him in the 98th percentile for breakaway runs (15-plus yards).
Sewell, at No. 27, is now widely regarded as one of the best blockers in the NFL, with a 91.2 run-blocking grade on zone runs.
Finally, Joseph ranks the highest of all Lions players at No. 19. He had a breakout season, leading all safeties with a 91.1 coverage grade and nine interceptions. Alongside Branch, Joseph anchored the NFL’s top safety unit and demonstrated reliability as one of the league’s best tacklers.
Though some might argue that Gibbs, Sewell, and Joseph deserved higher rankings, it’s worth noting that the Lions nearly had 10 players on the list. If David Montgomery hadn’t missed the final part of the regular season, they could have reached that milestone.
