The Detroit Lions are getting lots of positive buzz going into the new season, and they have a few of the best players in the NFL on their squad.
The Lions are still without a few key pieces of the puzzle, of course, such as having a star edge to back up Aidan Hutchinson. So, it’s not perfect, but for the most part, there’s a lot of hope around this season’s Detroit Lions squad. Now, some NFL experts are looking at the Lions’ current roster and naming its top players, and the choices certainly make sense.
Detroit Lions’ Top Players Revealed
Detroit News Lions beat reporters Nolan Bianchi and Richard Silva highlighted their picks for the top Lions on offense and defense in their summer edition of the Gritiron Gang podcast. The picks are popular players and the “faces” of the Lions’ team, really.
It’s an interesting discussion on what makes for the most important players on not just the Lions’ roster but in the entire NFL.
On the show, Silva picked Hutchinson and Bianchi selected offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the second pick. Both hosts drafted Goff as the quarterback for both squads.
“I think Aidan Hutchinson is the obvious choice. I think it’s probably the second-most impactful position on the field,” Silva on the show, adding that he thinks “the drop-off between Hutch and the next edge rusher, which is not a knock on the rest of the edge rushers as much as it is praise for Hutch, is larger than some of the other gaps between other positions.”
Going through the rest of the top selections, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Brian Branch were selected at third and fourth, respectively. Next, safety Kerby Joseph was selected fifth, and explosive wide receiver Jameson Williams was picked sixth overall.
Some Players Need More Attention
So, those are the big names on the Lions’ squad and really bring no surprises. But, some key players should be getting more fanfare. SI’s Christian Booher says that one of those guys is veteran Avonte Maddox, who Booher says is very impressive, even if he doesn’t always get the praise and press for it.
“One player to keep an eye on that hasn’t been talked about as much as others is veteran Avonte Maddox,” he said. “He impressed during offseason workouts, and his veteran experience should lend itself to some important snaps early on in his Lions tenure.”
Booher added, “Maddox is a versatile defender who can play any position in the secondary, so he will give the Lions an option in the event of a secondary injury. He could wind up having serious value for the team down the stretch.
SI’s Vito Chirco also gave his thoughts on the most underground player who could break out. “I think it’s going to be second-year pro Ennis Rakestraw Jr. I believe he’s going to have a chance to impact the Lions’ secondary as both an outside corner and nickel corner in 2025,” he said. “And as a result, I believe he’ll prove to be a much more valuable asset than many are projecting him to be.”
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