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Majority of Lions fans expect Jared Goff to exceed projected passing totals

NFC Championship - Detroit Lions v San Francisco 49ers

Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The results of our latest SB Nation Reacts survey are in, and as expected, the voting wasn’t close.

Earlier this week, we published our latest SB Nation Reacts surveys, asking Detroit Lions fans if they believe quarterback Jared Goff will exceed his projected 2025 passing totals, utilizing the betting lines established by the folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Despite recording at least 4,438 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns in each of the last three seasons—including 4,629 passing yards and 37 passing touchdowns in 2024—the betting lines for Goff in 2025 were significantly lower: 3,875.5 passing yards and 27.5 passing touchdowns.

This is likely a result of FanDuel establishing the betting line based on a possible regression from Goff, as the national narrative has placed significant weight on the fact that Detroit lost offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to Chicago and All-Pro center Frank Ragnow to retirement.

But Lions fans aren’t buying into the national narrative. Based on the results of this week’s surveys, 89% of voters believe he’ll surpass his passing projection, and another 83% think he’ll go over his passing touchdown totals.




Let’s look at the comment section of our original survey to allow Lions fans to explain their reactions and voting choices (slightly edited for clarity):

  • Bagels are for Champions: “He’s going to throw for 4000 yards if he stays healthy, but if he’s throwing 27 TD passes, I’m probably going to be questioning why we’re not using the best running back tandem more.”
  • Detroit_vs_everyone: “Yardage, yes. TDs, probably. He’s been over that on TDs the past 3 years, and Morton supposedly wants even more explosive passing. However, I could see them ending up with a lot of 3-yard runs as a result of those explosives, so the TD total could dip.”
  • Izzo4POTUS: “How can someone average over 4500 yards for the past three seasons and be picked to throw for less than 4000 this year? More Detroit disrespect.”
  • WarnerToBruce: “I have a strong feeling that John Morton will be described as a 'genius' after this season. They seem to follow Goff around.”


Throughout the year, we ask questions of the most plugged-in Detroit Lions fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.



Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...jared-goff-to-exceed-projected-passing-totals
 
Lions trivia: Your in-5 daily game, Friday edition

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Think you can figure out which Lions player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

We’re back for another day of the Pride of Detroit in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Pride of Detroit in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Thursday, July 3, 2025
Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Pride of Detroit in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Lions player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025/7/4/24461486/sb-nation-lions-daily-trivia-in-5
 
‘He’s a freak’: Lions TE Sam LaPorta cracks NFL Top 100 list again

NFL: Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions

Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

For the second straight year, Lions TE Sam LaPorta has been voted as a top-100 player according to his peers.

Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta has cracked the NFL Top 100 list for the second straight season.

For the uninitiated, every year since 2021, the NFL has dropped a list of the top-100 players in the league, as voted by the players during the previous season. This year, the NFL is really milking the list, dropping just two names per day. The list kicked off this week, and LaPorta officially came in at 94 overall.

The good part of this list is that each player gets their own video tribute, filled with testimonials from fellow players and highlights from their game. Here’s a look at LaPorta’s video for this year:


NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@Lions TE Sam LaPorta snags No. 94 on the countdown! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/If3r4U3GLR

— NFL (@NFL) July 3, 2025

“He’s a freak,” 49ers tight end George Kittle says in the video. “And the way that Detroit schemes him up, they do a great job. And he had like two touchdowns off trick plays.”

The announcer then quickly corrects Kittle that it was actually three plays: a reverse flea flicker vs. the Cowboys, the stumblebum vs. the Bears, and a touchdown catch from running back David Montgomery.

LaPorta made the list in 2024, as well. However, he was a bit higher on the list—No. 80 overall—after posting one of the best rookie seasons in tight end history. Last year, his numbers took a slight step back, finishing with 60 catches, 726 yards, and seven touchdowns—ranking 11th, sixth, and and t-fourth in each respective stat among tight ends.

Last year, five Lions made the list: LaPorta, Jared Goff (48), Aidan Hutchinson (47), Amon-Ra St. Brown (23), and Penei Sewell (22). It seems likely the Lions could have a couple more names on that list this year—particularly Jahmyr Gibbs, Kerby Joseph, and Brian Branch.

You can keep up with the 2025 list here.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...100-list-2025-detroit-lions-sam-laporta-video
 
Lions training camp preview: WR loaded with depth options, youth

Syndication: Detroit Free Press

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The next installment in our training camp preview series looks at the Lions’ wide receivers room.

With Detroit Lions 2025 training camp just a few weeks away, we have restarted our annual roster preview series. If you’re not familiar with this series, we guide you position-by-position through the roster, examining the starting, reserve, and specialty roles, which players are competing for which jobs, and project how the Lions will approach each situation.

In this installment, we examine the Lions’ wide receivers room, speculate on current and future roles, and discuss how many players from this group could make the 53-man roster.

Previous training camp previews:

Setting the table


The Lions entered the offseason determined not to repeat their mistakes from the previous year, when they struggled to find a starting WR-X during training camp. With Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Kalif Raymond all under contract, the Lions quickly re-signed Tim Patrick in free agency, cementing the return of their top four wide receivers.

As for the rest of the receiver room, the Lions’ WR5 and WR6 roles were occupied by a rotation of players, with veteran Tom Kennedy being the only receiver of the group to re-sign in Detroit. Undrafted rookie Isaiah Williams was on the roster through Week 9 but was released, and the Bengals claimed him off waivers. Maurice Alexander joined Ben Johnson in Chicago this offseason. Allen Robinson was active, but seldom used, for the majority of the season, was not re-signed, and is currently a free agent.

To fill the now vacated openings, the Lions opted for a youth movement. The Lions kicked things off by signing former Michigan receiver Ronnie Bell to a futures contract. Then, Detroit added four rookies, drafting Isaac TeSlaa in the third round, Dominic Lovett in the seventh, then signing Jakobie Keeney-James and Jackson Meeks as their two highest-paid undrafted free agents. Additionally, following a tryout at rookie minicamp, veteran Malik Taylor was signed to the roster.

In all, the Lions enter training camp with 11 receivers under contract, including their top four producers from last season, four rookies, and three veterans competing for snaps.

Roster construction


Under the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell regime, the Lions have typically kept between five and six wide receivers on the active roster and at least two on the practice squad. Let’s take a look at what they’ve done in the previous four seasons:

  • 2021: Opened the season with seven receivers on the roster but quickly cut that number to six and played out the season with those players.
  • 2022: Opened with five receivers but expanded to six once Jameson Williams returned from the NFI list.
  • 2023: Opened with five receivers with Williams suspended, but opted for six once he returned.
  • 2024: Opened the season with five but expanded to six for Weeks 2-10 (after they released Isaiah Williams), and closed out the rest of the season with just five.

The battleground


Entering 2025 training camp, the Lions appear set with their top four high-level producers; however, there are plenty of questions surrounding how the depth of this position group will shake out.

Will the Lions keep 6 WRs?

As with any Super Bowl contender, Detroit will face some difficult roster decisions following training camp. While the Lions have often kept only five receivers on the roster, this is mainly due to team injuries, and their preference appears to lean toward keeping six under ideal circumstances.

Furthermore, the Lions are known for not squandering their investments, and with the amount of capital utilized on youth at receiver this offseason, they likely have a plan to retain at least one rookie—and maybe all four.

Can the Lions retain all four rookies for development?

While the Lions could end up keeping one or two rookie wide receivers on their 53-man roster, they’ll need to work to retain all four. This means hoping the released players clear waivers and agree to join the practice squad.

Historically, Lions draft picks that have been released at cutdowns and UDFAs that receive a $20,000 signing bonus with over $100,000 in guarantees, tend to sign onto the Lions practice squad for further development. The Lions will likely need to sell the rookies on a path to the roster being in their future, and with Patrick and Raymond both over 30 years old and in contract seasons, there could be multiple opportunities in 2026 and beyond.

Making a case for roles in 2025 and the future

Let’s take a look at the receivers beyond the top four and explore what they’d need to do in order to secure a spot on the active roster (as WR5 or WR6) or practice squad.

  • Isaac TeSlaa (6-foot-4, 214): Considering the draft capital used to acquire TeSlaa, it would be shocking to see him end up anywhere besides the active roster. The Lions are a merit-based team, but he’s going to get loads of opportunities to prove he’s worth his slot selection.
  • Dominic Lovett (5-foot-10, 185): As a seventh-round pick, things are less certain for Lovett. However, with skills similar to Raymond, it’s easy to see the Lions looking to groom the rookie as an eventual replacement. It won’t guarantee him a spot on the active roster, but his speed and special teams skills—including as a returner and gunner—could be what gives him the eventual edge.
  • Tom Kennedy (5-foot-10, 195): One of the steadiest players on the Lions roster, Kennedy is entering his seventh (!) season in Detroit. While his lack of special teams skills has historically limited him to the practice squad, his reliability results in him seeing game action virtually every season as an injury replacement. For him to make the active roster, he’ll need to earn a role on special teams.
  • Ronnie Bell (6-foot-0, 195): After two seasons in San Francisco, Bell and the 49ers parted ways this offseason, and Detroit jumped at the opportunity to add the former Wolverine. For Bell to make the roster in Detroit, he’ll need to show off his reliable hands and earn a role on special teams. After 111 special teams snaps during his rookie season with the 49ers, that number was reduced to 13 last season. That’ll need to improve in order to stick in Detroit.
  • Jakobie Keeney-James (6-foot-0, 190): With over a $250,000 in contractual guarantees—the most amongst the Lions UDFAs—the Lions certainly like what they see in Keeney-James. For him to make the active roster, he’ll need to show his elite speed translates to the NFL and that he can earn a role on special teams. A spot on the practice squad seems like Keeney-James' floor.
  • Jackson Meeks (6-foot-2, 218): A potential WR-X with gunner skills is a unique combination, which is why Meeks was guaranteed only slightly less than Keeney-James in this UDFA class. In order to make the active roster, Meeks will need to prove he’s the Lions' best option to eventually replace Patrick as a future WR-X. A spot on the practice squad is a realistic outcome.
  • Malik Taylor (6-foot-1, 220): Despite entering the NFL in 2019 (the same year as Raymond), Taylor has not found a consistent team to play for during his career. The Flint native earned a contract in Detroit during a tryout at rookie minicamp, but to secure a spot on the active roster, he’ll need to demonstrate that his veteran savviness is more valuable than investing in a younger developmental receiver.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...ions-2025-training-camp-preview-wide-receiver
 
Lions trivia: Your in-5 daily game, Sunday edition

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Think you can figure out which Lions player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

We’re back for another day of the Pride of Detroit in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Pride of Detroit in-5 game​


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​


Saturday, July 5, 2025
Friday, July 4, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Pride of Detroit in-5 instructions​


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Lions player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025/7/6/24462377/sb-nation-lions-daily-trivia-in-5
 
Notes: An NFL analyst finally gave credit to Dan Campbell’s offensive mind

Syndication: Detroit Free Press

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Former NFL offensive lineman and three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth talked about how involved Lions’ coach Dan Campbell is on offense, and why he isn’t worried about Detroit taking a step back in 2025.

For one reason or another, there are a lot of misinformed football fans out there when it comes to Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell—at least outside the state of Michigan and the Lions fanbase.

So to those people who think all he does is give a cool speech from time to time, don’t get it twisted, Campbell is one of the best coaches in football for plenty of reasons. As a tight end who played in the league for a decade, Campbell is a well-versed offensive mind that has seen it all—both as a player, and now as a coach. And while losing Ben Johnson to a division rival isn’t ideal, forgive those of us—like three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth—who aren’t overly concerned about how the offense will fair in 2025.

“But where I don’t think Dan (Campbell) gets enough credit, is Dan is a great offensive mind. He understands that offense,” said Schlereth on his daily morning show, “Breakfast Ball,” over on FS1. “I was calling games when he was still calling plays and transitioning to Ben Johnson. Dan has a very heavy hand on the way that offense is structured, the way they run that offense. He’s big into that. The guy is very smart when it comes to Xs and Os, how to use personnel, to do all those things.”

Schlereth’s perspective on the game is one I have always personally respected, so it is nice to see someone outside of Michigan give Campbell the credit he deserves for building this offense into the juggernaut that it is today.

You can watch the full segment of the show right here.


.@markschlereth breaks down Dan Campbell's incredible impact on Detroit's offense ⬇️

Dan understands that offense. So, what you've seen over the last couple of years isn't just Ben Johnson... Dan Campbell is very much involved. pic.twitter.com/8OlBn1xmze

— Breakfast Ball (@BrkfstBallOnFS1) June 2, 2025

And now, onto the rest of today’s notes:



Number 1 Stunna pic.twitter.com/GoBTPiNylj

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) July 4, 2025


They Can’t Break Me…They Gotta Kill Me. #ComeBackKid pic.twitter.com/oVmqsFIvrq

— Amik Robertson (@_YoungTruth7) July 6, 2025


Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...sive-mind-gives-credit-fox-sports-not-worried
 
Ranking every player on the Detroit Lions’ 2025 roster: 90-81

Detroit Lions v New York Giants

Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images

Our rankings of every Detroit Lions players on the 2025 roster kicks off with players we placed in the bottom 10.

As we inch toward Detroit Lions training camp, it’s time to take inventory of the roster.

For the past six seasons, we’ve undertaken the exercise of ranking every single player on the team’s roster. This exercise not only provides us with a nice debate on how good each player is, but it also helps put the entire roster into perspective. For example, go back and look at our 2021 list. Players like Jamie Collins and Jack Fox cracked the top-10. Tyrell Williams—who would play one singular game for the Lions—was 17. On this year’s list, it was difficult to fit all of the proven talent into the top-20.

You can find our archive of lists here: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019.

In order to create this list, we polled the entire Pride of Detroit staff. The following people submitted at least partial lists from 1-90: Jeremy Reisman, Erik Schlitt, John Whiticar, Ryan Mathews, Morgan Cannon, Max Gerber, Meko Scott, Brandon Knapp, Al Karsten, Hamza Baccouche, and Chris Perfett. Rankings were averaged to create consensus rankings.

As in previous years, we will release our list 10 players at a time, starting at the bottom. Here are the players we ranked from 90-81.

90. TE Luke Deal (Highest ranking: 84, Lowest ranking: 90)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

The bottom of this list is littered with undrafted rookies, as it is nearly every year. Deal is unique in that he wasn’t part of the Lions’ original UDFA class, but earned his spot on the 90-man roster via tryout during rookie minicamp. Deal is a high-character player (two-time captain) and had a ton of college playing experience, and fits more of the mold of a blocking tight end.

89. RB Anthony Tyus (Highest: 82, Lowest: 90)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

One of two running backs most likely fighting for a shot on the practice squad, Tyus is a bruising back (6-foot-1, 226 pounds) who had an explosive season at Ohio last year—rushing for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 contests.

88. RB Kye Robichaux (Highest: 83, Lowest: 89)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

Robichaux is the other half of the UDFA running back tandem. Though he is ranked above Tyus, four of our 10 writers had Robichaux lower on their list. Tyus did get a little more on his contract, but Robichaux had two strong seasons as Boston College’s lead back.

87. OL Mason Miller (Highest: 81, Lowest: 90)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

Another UDFA, Miller hails from North Dakota State—overlapping with Lions current tight ends coach Tyler Roehl. Miller started a dozen games at left guard and nearly triple that at right tackle. That versatility gives him an outside chance at the roster with Detroit going through some major changes on the offensive line.

86. WR Malik Taylor (Highest: 81, Lowest: 89)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

Like Deal, Taylor found his way onto the roster after making a few big plays during his rookie minicamp tryout—but unlike Deal, he is not a rookie. In fact, he’s been around since 2019. However, he has only made three game appearances total in the last three years. Taylor is a Detroit local and has the size (6-foot-1, 220) and athleticism you’d want in a WR-X, but he’s got a tough road to the roster with Tim Patrick and now Isaac TeSlaa on the team.

85. DL Keith Cooper (Highest: 78, Lowest: 90)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

Another UDFA signed after rookie minicamp tryouts, Cooper played as an edge defender at Houston last year, tallying 3.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hits in 12 games. His game likely has a little more versatility to it, and he’ll need to tap into that to crack the 53-man roster.

84. S Ian Kennelly (Highest: 71, Lowest: 88)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

There has already been a little hype around Kennelly, although he has certainly benefitted from some extra media coverage as a local UDFA. Kennelly grew up in Macomb and attended Grand Valley State, where he was a standout defender and earned the team’s Player of the Year award in 2024. But he’s more than just a local phenom: he’s got a great athletic profile, and he’s full of grit.

83. DT Raequan Williams (Highest: 69, Lowest: 90)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

Many likely remember Williams from his days at Michigan State, but he’s been jumping round NFL teams for the last five seasons trying to find a more permanent home. He’s only appeared in seven career games, with 7 tackles and 1.0 sack to his name. There’s a lot of defensive tackle competition on the roster right now—11 players currently signed—so Williams will have to beat the odds to make it onto the field in Detroit.

82. TE Zach Horton (Highest: 78, Lowest: 87)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

Like Deal, Horton enters the tight end competition as a UDFA with tough odds. Working in Horton’s favor—which is likely why he’s higher on the list than Deal—is the fact that Horton has some experience playing fullback. He also has $100,000 in guarantees in his contract—fourth most among the Lions’ UDFA class—which likely means Detroit likes him a fair share.

81. LB DaRon Gilbert (Highest: 76, Lowest: 86)


Last year’s ranking: 84

Gilbert is the only player on the first 10 of this list who was with the Lions last year. He was part of the 2024 UDFA class, but was eventually waived during the preseason with an injury settlement. Amidst Detroit’s crazy linebacker injuries, he eventually signed back in Detroit to the practice squad, but never got the call up. The Lions liked him enough to ink him to a futures deal in January.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...player-on-the-detroit-lions-2025-roster-90-81
 
Lions News: Watch ST coordinator Dave Fipp live out lifetime dream

Syndication: Detroit Free Press

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As the son of a Navy pilot, Detroit Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp got an unbelievable opportunity this offseason.

Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp lived out his lifelong dream of riding along with Navy’s Blue Angels in a heartwarming video the Detroit Lions released on the Fourth of July.

Fipp, the son of a former Navy pilot, grew up watching the Blue Angels in air shows back in his hometown of San Diego. He earned a commercial piloting license himself, which led him to meet the Blue Angels.

After hearing about his father’s time in the Navy and Fipp’s own passion for piloting, the famous group invited Fipp to ride along in a F/A-18 Super Hornet.

The video follows Fipp getting all suited up and into the aircraft, and his exciting flight.

“I can’t even express in words how grateful I am for the opportunity to fly there and really just be around those people totally helped me understand my dad’s love it,” he said.

Very cool video. You can watch it in full below.

And onto the rest of your notes.


  • As part of the Joique Bell Charity Summer Enrichment Program, several former Lions and other pro athletes mentored 200 Detroit middle schoolers at Wayne State University through a full day of football, STEM, dance, and leadership development.

  • Humble request to the Lions social team to give them weirder objects as I live for the giant men squealing.

The rookies tried the 'What's in the Box?' challenge pic.twitter.com/5dNHJsniag

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) June 30, 2025

  • NFL.com is working on its top 100 NFL players list, releasing No. 91-100 so far. The grouping features one Detroit Lion.

  • In case you missed it, former Lion Ndamukong Suh started a YouTube series for The Athletic called “No Free Lunch.” Two new episodes dropped over the past five days.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...dave-fipp-live-out-lifetime-dream-blue-angels
 
Ranking the NFC North offensive lines for the 2025 season

Green Bay Packers v Detroit Lions

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

The NFC North offensive lines went through major transitions during the 2025 offseason. Do the Detroit Lions still have the best unit in the division?

The Detroit Lions’ offensive line is going through a lot of changes this offseason, but they are far from the only team in transition among their front five. In fact, every team in the NFC North has made some drastic changes to their offensive line this offseason.

While the Lions lost their starting center and right guard—and drafted their potential future center in the second round—no one has seen more overturn than the Chicago Bears. They signed former Falcons center Drew Dalman to a three-year, $42 million deal, traded for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney, and also swiped Jonah Jackson from the Rams. That’s about as aggressive of an offseason as you’ll see from an NFL team.

The Vikings were also active this offseason. They signed veterans Ryan Kelly and Will Fries from the Indianapolis Colts, then drafted guard Donovan Jackson in the first round of the draft. And the Packers also went spending in free agency, grabbing guard Aaron Banks from the 49ers and making some extra shifts on the interior.

Shake it all out, and the offensive lines in the division suddenly look a lot different, and in some cases, a lot better.

The Lions have been the prototype of an elite offensive line in the NFL over the past few years, but is it time for a shift in the dynamic in the division? According to PFF, that answer may be yes. On Monday, they dropped their offensive line rankings for the 2025 season, and the Lions (ranked 13th in the NFL) were third in the division, ranking behind the Bears (fourth overall) and the Vikings (seventh).

On this week’s PODcast, we offer our own 1-4 rankings of the NFC North offensive line. We also touch on the NFL Top-100 Players of 2025 list and make some predictions for where Lions players will land this year and in the future.

Note: As a personal note, I wanted to acknowledge the change being made at PODcast host. Chris Perfett will always mean a ton to the PODcast as its founder, host, and producer for 10 years. It was his passion project, and that showed in the product, particularly on the technical side, where he put so much love into the show where others simply shrugged their shoulders. I hope you will continue to support him on social media, on his Twitch page, and via his work on Fox Sports Radio.

We are very excited to have Meko Scott fill his spot as the new PODcast host. Meko has done an incredible job building our YouTube page over the past couple of years, and I believe he’ll bring a ton of enthusiasm and knowledge to the position.


Catch this week’s episode below:

Or you can view it on YouTube and Twitch.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...ranking-nfc-north-offensive-lines-2025-season
 
The hilarious story on why Amon-Ra St. Brown mistakenly wears #14

Green Bay Packers v Detroit Lions

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

A counting mistake caused Amon-Ra St. Brown to sport the number 14 for the Detroit Lions.

Amon-Ra St. Brown and the number 14 seem like an iconic pairing at this point. While it wasn’t what the Detroit Lions receiver wore in college, he’s made it look good in the NFL.

But according to a story told on season two of the Netflix docuseries “Quarterback,” St. Brown wasn’t really supposed to ever have that number.

You’ve probably heard about a million times since St. Brown was drafted on Day 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft that the Lions receiver has a full list of every receiver taken before him in that draft class. St. Brown was clearly not happy with sliding into the fourth round, and to this day, he can recite every single receiver—and the college they went to—that was selected before Detroit took him 112th overall.

He actually wanted to take that pettiness to an entirely new level by sporting the jersey number of the amount of receivers taken before him in the draft. Only one problem: his girlfriend at the time miscounted.

Brooklyn Adams retold the story while talking to Christen Harper, Jared Goff’s wife.

“He’ll never admit this, but he asked me to count the amount of receivers (drafted) before him, and that was going to be his number, and I messed up. It’s not 14,” Adams said. “I told him it was 14, and so that’s why he’s 14.”

It turns out she was off by two. A total of 16 receivers were taken ahead of St. Brown, creating what would have been an interesting conundrum, seeing as Goff has worn 16 his entire NFL career.

“I should have chose 16 looking back on it,” St. Brown said on the Netflix show. “But I think Jared looks better in 16 than me.”

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...ra-st-brown-mistakenly-wears-14-jersey-number
 
5 things we learned from Jared Goff’s appearance in Netflix’s ‘Quarterback’

Buffalo Bills v Detroit Lions

Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images

Here are the five biggest Detroit Lions takeaways from Jared Goff’s appearance in Netflix’s ‘Quarterback’ season two.

Netflix dropped season two of “Quarterback” this week, so we binged it as quickly as possible to give you the biggest takeaways from the Detroit Lions and Jared Goff’s 2024 season.

Here are five things I learned from the seven episodes of the docuseries.

Goff is still miffed about how the Los Angeles trade went down


When Goff was traded from the Rams to the Lions in 2021, it was widely reported that the quarterback was relatively blindsided by the move. The line of communication wasn’t great between Goff and coach Sean McVay, and it’s clear that impacted Goff. Since then, McVay has admitted he regrets how he approached it, and Goff has basically said he’s moved on.

But when the topic came up again on “Quarterback,” it was clear Goff is still not really happy with how that all went down.

“I think for me, ultimately, it was the fact that there was not a conversation had and there wasn’t like a, ‘Hey, we’re thinking of moving on’ type of thing. There was nothing,” Goff said. “You wish that it wasn’t such a blindside, and you wish that there was some sort of maturity, I guess, to have that conversation and to be able to let me know what’s going on and how things went down and why this is happening.”

Calling out the lack of maturity of McVay? Yeah, he’s still a bit salty about it (and understandably so).

Jared Goff and Ben Johnson saw the game the same way


There’s a great moment caught during the Lions’ epic comeback victory over the Houston Texans.

Goff is in the midst of a terrible game in which he threw five interceptions, but down 23-7 in the third quarter, he wasn’t giving up. Cameras caught him in the huddle saying to no one in particular that he wanted the play “wasp.” Mind you, there is no microphone in his helmet. Ben Johnson can’t hear him. But, sure enough, the Lions' offensive coordinator thought it was the right time for that play, too, and called it in. It was a double-move route to Sam LaPorta, and it resulted in a huge gain that sparked Detroit’s comeback:


Goff hits LaPorta for 37!#DETvsHOU | NBC pic.twitter.com/41WAZ0bJ76

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 11, 2024

“Ben and I do see things a lot similarly,” Goff said. “I kind of have an idea of what’s coming next. Sure enough, he sent it in. He can’t hear me, but I’m trying to speak it into existence, and when your play caller’s good and you and your play caller are on the same page, typically good things happen.”

Not only does this speak to the good chemistry Goff had with Johnson, but it also illustrates how strong Goff’s “feel” for the offense itself is. Hopefully, that carries over with new offensive coordinator John Morton.

Dan Campbell’s game plan vs. Green Bay on Thursday night worked to perfection


One of my favorite parts in the series came as Detroit prepared for their Thursday night game against the Green Bay Packers. As you may remember, the Lions were absolutely shredded due to injuries on the defensive side of the ball, and were going to be forced to start players who literally just walked into the building.

At the Lions' facility, cameras captured Dan Campbell in a team meeting basically telling everyone that the entire game is going to be put in the offense’s hands—and that includes being extremely overaggressive on fourth down.

Here are a few snippets of his epic speech:

“I’m going to tell you how this is going to go down: Offense, we are going to fucking put everything on your fucking ass. Okay? I’m just telling you right now. You [pointing to Goff] gotta show up. You gotta show up in a big way.”

“The way we play ball, we’re fucking going. We’re going four downs all the way up and down this field. As long as it’s not fourth-and-fucking-20, you understand, we’re fucking going. And we will fucking just march down this field, and it’s going to be so fucking glorious, gentlemen.”

The Lions would end up going for it on fourth down five times, converting four—including the controversial game-sealing conversion that allowed the Lions to milk the rest of the clock before kicking the game-winning field goal.

Many players have talked about how Campbell’s game plans have worked exactly as he predicted early in the week, but it’s fascinating to actually see it play out.

Goff owes Jack Fox a lot of beer


In what was seemingly a random audio clip, the show depicted punter Jack Fox approaching Goff after the big Week 18 win over the Minnesota Vikings and saying, “Free beer for a year.”

At that time in the show, it didn’t mean anything to the viewer. But soon after, the docuseries put the quote into its proper context. Speaking at home with his family at 1 a.m. following the win, Goff revealed he had made a bet with the Lions punter that may end up costing him a pretty penny.

“I bet Jack Fox at the beginning of the year. I said, ‘If you lead the league in net punting, I’ll get you Bud Light for a year,’” Goff said. “Right after the game, he said, ‘You owe me Bud Light for a year.’”

Indeed, Fox did finish first in the NFL in net punting with a 45.8 average.

Christen Harper is all of us


Harper, Goff’s wife, is heavily featured throughout the series. It’s a peek into his personal life, and it’s neat to watch her fall in love with the city and the team.

But, man, it was hard to watch her struggle in a suite as she watched the Lions get stunned by the Commanders in the Divisional Round. You could see her go through all the stage of grief—just as I’m sure many of you did that evening. At one point, she just can’t hold it back any longer and breaks out into tears.

“I just can’t believe we’re not going to be here next weekend. It’s just like—” Harper said before a long beat of speechlessness. “God, it sucks so bad.”

Obviously, that day was hard on all Lions fans, but I couldn’t help but feel extra for the Goff family. They have been through a lot, Goff has been dragged through the mud, and it seems like in that moment, it may all have flooded back to them.

“Had I played better, do we win? Possibly,” Goff said in the post-game press conference. “And that’s the part that’ll eat me alive for the whole offseason.”

Oof.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...e-jared-goffs-appearance-netflixs-quarterback
 
Notes: Only 1 team has better skill position players than the Lions

Detroit Lions v Chicago Bears

Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images

According to an ESPN writer, the Detroit Lions have the second-best set of skill position players in the NFL.

When you think of the Detroit Lions, your mind no doubt goes to some of the superstars on offense. They likely have the best running back duo in football, including a top-three talent in Jahmry Gibbs. Two-time All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown is certainly a top-10 receiver, and arguably in the top-five. Tight end Sam LaPorta followed up a history rookie season with another strong one last year. And even some of the other players—David Montgomery, Jameson Williams, and Kalif Raymond—are extremely valuable in their own right.

So it comes as little surprise that the Lions ranked No. 2 overall Bill Barnwell’s list of the top skill position players in the NFL. Barnwell’s article over at ESPN has some awesome statistical nuggets, including this one on St. Brown:

“He had an 81.6% catch rate last season, the second-best rate for a wideout with 100 targets or more since 1992. His 70.2% success rate on those targets, per Pro Football Reference, was the fifth-best mark for any wideout with those same constraints.”

The only team Barnwell ranked over the Lions is the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, who sport the likes of Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. But even with that array of weapons, Barnwell admits the only reason he doesn’t have the Lions in the top spot is that he’s not entirely sure how much of their effectiveness will be lost after the departure of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

“Ben Johnson was undoubtedly a huge help to the offense and getting the most out of this talent, but with the former Detroit coordinator now off to the Bears, there probably won’t be the same endless array of trick plays and brilliant adjustments that we saw in years past,” Barnwell wrote. “If the Lions can keep this up with John Morton calling plays, they’ll be the clear No. 1 in 2026.”

In case you were wondering, the Vikings are sixth on the list, the Packers are 17th, and the Bears are 25th.

  • More shenanigans from the Lions rookie class:

Light work pic.twitter.com/P42DCnq1EX

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) July 9, 2025


  • Some “Quarterback” spoilers here, but there is a good amount of DOGGO content. Quincy looks like a very good boy:


  • I’d have them higher, honestly:

Ranking the top 10 secondaries in the NFL today pic.twitter.com/CLIuA6DPW5

— PFF (@PFF) July 9, 2025


Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...t-skill-position-players-nfl-eagles-espn-list
 
Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph land inside top 5 of ESPN’s safety rankings

Denver Broncos v Detroit Lions

Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images

ESPN polled NFL executives, coaches, and scouts for their top 10 lists, and both Lions safeties cracked the top 5 in the rankings.

The Detroit Lions' duo of Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph is widely considered the best safety tandem in the NFL, but both players are also equally worthy of individual accolades. In a recent poll of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, ESPN created a list of the top-10 safeties heading into the 2025 season, and both Branch and Joseph landed in the top five.

In ESPN’s surveys, data was collected from over 70 individuals in the NFL, and they were asked to identify their top-10 players at each position. ESPN then compiled the lists to establish rankings and conducted interviews to gather explanations for their voting.

Brian Branch


Branch, who was a Pro Bowler in 2024, finished No. 2 in ESPN’s rankings and was even ranked as high as No. 1 on some lists. ESPN recognized the second-year safety's four interceptions, 16 pass deflections (the most among safeties last season), and 21.1% ball-hawking rate (second-best in the NFL) as the primary catalyst for his rise in their rankings.

Here’s what an AFC executive had to say about Branch:

“I love Branch due to instincts and versatility. He’s been asked to do a lot in two years in Detroit and he’s handled it all.”

The piece had a second quote that lacked citation, but was equally complementary:

“The one knock on him coming out [of Alabama] was coverage, but he proved all of that wrong. He’s been excellent. Very instinctive. He was good at nickel but has more range than that.”

At just 23 years old, Branch was also the youngest safety on ESPN’s list and still has two years remaining on his rookie contract. That being said, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Lions enter negotiations with him next offseason in hopes of reaching a contract extension.

Speaking of contract extensions, Joseph reset the safety market this offseason with his new contract, and he checked in at No. 5 on ESPN’s rankings.

Kerby Joseph


After leading the NFL in interceptions (nine) in 2024 and earning All-Pro honors, it’s clear that Joseph’s ball skills are unmatched. As ESPN pointed out, when quarterbacks targeted Joseph last season, it resulted in a minuscule 29.2 passer rating and a league-leading 36.4% ball-hawking rate. His 17 interceptions and 31 pass breakups since entering the NFL in 2022 are the most amongst all safeties.

Here’s what an NFC scout told ESPN about Joseph:

“He has the stuff you can’t teach as far as the chance-taking that helps create turnovers but doesn’t hurt the framework of the defense. He’s good at taking calculated risks. You’ve got to give him credit. He’s worked hard for his opportunity.”

While Joseph waits to see where he lands on the NFL100, he has spent a significant portion of his offseason giving back to his communities, both in Detroit and his hometown in Florida. In fact, Orlando even went as far as to celebrate “Kerby Joseph weekend,” including giving him the key to the city, after he helped open a MedHealth Clinical facility and held a youth football camp in the area.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...ph-land-inside-top-5-of-espns-safety-rankings
 
Ranking the NFC North defenses for the 2025 season

Denver Broncos v Detroit Lions

Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images

We rank the NFC North 7-man fronts and each team’s secondary against each other.

Throughout the last few weeks, the PODcast has been ranking positional units in the NFC North. If you’ve missed previous versions, you can catch up here:


On Friday, Meko Scott, Ryan Mathews, and I moved to the defensive side of the ball. There has been so much conversation about the Detroit Lions’ defensive line this offseason, and while they may not have added too many notable names via free agency this year, the Lions still have a case for best defensive line in the division—especially if you widen out the scope to the entire front-seven. But what about the Vikings? Is their feared pass rush more a product of the system or the player—or a combination of both? The Bears went aggressive in free agency, but was it the right strategy?

Then we ranked each team’s secondary. The Lions clearly boast the best safety duo, but how does that compare to the Bears defensive backs, which includes the clear best cornerback in the division. Beyond that.... what the heck are the Packers and Vikings doing with their respective secondaries? Could they still be making moves once training camp begins because... they should.

You can listen to our entire debate on whatever podcasting platform you prefer, or just use the Spotify embed in the story below.

If you’re more of a visual consumer, you can catch the full episode—PLUS some power rankings of chain restaurants—over at our YouTube and Twitch pages.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025/7/12/24466280/ranking-the-nfc-north-defenses-for-the-2025-season
 
Ranking every player on the 2025 Lions roster: The role players (40-31)

Detroit Lions v Dallas Cowboys

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Our ranking of the 2025 Detroit Lions roster has reached players 40-31, which we call “The Role Players.”

The countdown of our 2025 Detroit Lions roster rankings continues with the players we ranked from 40 to 31. This range features a ton of returning names and a few new ones, but most have one thing in common: they aren’t starters. However, they do figure to play significant roles on either offense, defense, or special teams. In other words: these are your 2025 Detroit Lions role players.

Note: For methodology and more details, check out the first installment of this series.

Previously:

40. CB Khalil Dorsey (Highest ranking: 34, Lowest ranking: 52)


Last year’s ranking: 45

Dorsey established himself as one of the Lions’ best special teamers last year, with Dave Fipp often calling him one of the best gunners in the league. While he still has a lot of room to grow as a reserve cornerback, he has been called on to start three games over the past two years and held up okay.

39. RB Sione Vaki (Highest: 33, Lowest: 50)


Last year’s ranking: 35

Interesting to see Vaki slide a couple spots after quickly establishing himself as one of the best teamers on the roster. Perhaps there was a bigger expectation for an offensive role last year, or maybe the roster is just a little deeper this year, forcing Vaki down four spots.

38. RB Craig Reynolds (Highest: 32, Lowest: 47)


Last year’s ranking: 41

Interesting to see Reynolds higher on this list than Vaki when he was six spots lower than him in 2024. Again, that may be due to an inflated expectation for a rookie like Vaki, as Reynolds held him off in the RB3 battle for essentially the entire year. It’s easy to forget that Reynolds has a significant special teams role, too (over 200 snaps in each of the last two seasons).

37. OT Dan Skipper (Highest: 28, Lowest: 47)


Last year’s ranking: 44

Skipper jumps seven spots on this year’s list after having a strong 2024 season. He looked far more capable in his OT3 role, played relatively well as a full-time starter in three games (vs. Texans, Bears, and Packers), and he even caught a freaking touchdown. Now, can he hold off Giovanni Manu this year?

36. WR Isaac TeSlaa (Highest: 33, Lowest: 42)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

It’s hard to know what TeSlaa’s role will be in 2025. It’s entirely possible with Detroit’s top-four receivers returning from last year, TeSlaa will not be expected to have any offensive role. But given Brad Holmes’ aggressive move to get him, there is certainly an expectation TeSall can—and will—grow into a significant contributor on offense. It’s just a matter of when.

35. DT Roy Lopez (Highest: 32, Lowest: 46)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

Last year, Lopez started 16 games for the Cardinals at nose tackle, but his role figures to be more rotational in Detroit. That not only gives the Lions another valuable run-stuffer in the middle, but it also means they can keep veteran DJ Reader fresh, too. That depth could be really valuable early in the season as Detroit tries to manage without Alim McNeill.

34. DB Avonte Maddox (Highest: 30, Lowest: 41)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

Maddox had a long-spanning career with the Eagles, but youth eventually pushed him out of a significant role in Philly. Detroit was happy to claim the versatile defensive back, and it appears they view him as depth at both safety and nickelback. That will be important because Detroit is otherwise thin at both of those positions.

33. CB Ennis Rakestraw (Highest: 22, Lowest: 40)


Last year’s ranking: 34

We were robbed of seeing Rakestraw in his rookie season due to injury, and now it seems he’ll be stuck behind the two starting cornerbacks to start the year. That said, by focusing on outside cornerback this year, his ceiling is to play a role similar to Amik Robertson—where he can be a versatile corner capable of playing anywhere.

32. LB Malcolm Rodriguez (Highest: 26, Lowest: 36)


Last year’s ranking: 32

It’s hard to rank Rodriguez on this year’s list knowing the Lions will be without him until November due to injury. However, once healthy, Rodriguez is an absolute luxury to have. He’s a starting-capable linebacker who is a menace defending the run and a valuable piece on special teams. They’ll have to rely on Grant Stuard (ranked 42) for that role early, and who knows what Rodriguez will look like when he’s healthy. Either way, it’s a huge year for the Lions linebacker, as his rookie contract expires after the season.

31. TE Brock Wright (Highest: 26, Lowest: 36)


Last year’s ranking: 29

Wright has slid into the TE2 role comfortably. While he’s not an outstanding blocker, he is a well-rounded player who will catch the occasional big pass and more often than not complete his blocking assignment. Entering his fifth year with the Lions, there aren’t many with as much schematic knowledge as Wright, leaving him essentially unopposed for the TE2 role.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...-2025-detroit-lions-roster-role-players-40-31
 
Dan Campbell explains why Detroit is dream fit, doesn’t want to leave

2025 NFL Scouting Combine

Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Dan Campbell joined Dallas radio this week, and basically penned a love letter to the city of Detroit.

It’s easy to see from the outside looking in that Dan Campbell is a great fit in Detroit. Not only has he led the Detroit Lions to an unprecedented amount of success over just four years, but his energy, spirit, and attitude all seem to match what has defined Detroit as a community for decades.

It’s one thing to see the fit. It’s another to hear it directly from the man himself. Doing the Texas media rounds this week, Campbell joined the Dallas radio station 96.7 am The Ticket this week, and basically wrote a love letter to the city of Detroit, expressing his gratitude for a job opportunity he calls a perfect fit.

“I belong here. It fits,” Campbell said. “I say it all the time, you don’t know when you’re going to get an opportunity or even if you will at head coach. There’s probably only one team that felt like I was the guy, and I’m there. It’s Detroit. Just everything about it was the right fit for me. From the ownership to the city to the field, the location, the fans, just, man, the blue-collar attitude of this city, it’s just perfect. It fits me like a glove.”

Then he turned his attention to Lions owner Sheila Hamp, and how she has made his life so much easier in Detroit.

“When you’ve got an owner who just tells you, ‘Look, do whatever you need to do, and I will get you whatever you need to have success. Whatever we need from a resources standpoint, I’ll do. I just want you to do it and be yourself.’ When somebody tells you that, I don’t have you worry about what I look like, what I say, I’m just me. I try to coach that way. I try to live that way,” Campbell said. “Man, it’s a blessing. I’m fortunate. I love the gig I’m at, and I have no plans of leaving. But we’ve got to win one (Super Bowl), man. We’ve got to win one, and then once you do that, see if you can win another one, but that’s the goal, to win a Super Bowl.”

Last year, the Lions ensured that this pairing wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, inking both Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes to extensions that will keep both under contract through the 2027 season.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...ns-why-detroit-dream-fit-doesnt-want-to-leave
 
Ranking every player on the 2025 Lions roster: Cracking the top-30

Green Bay Packers v Detroit Lions

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

Our countdown of the best players on the 2025 Detroit Lions roster has reached the top-30.

Our Detroit Lions roster ranking for the 2025 season has reached players 30-21. This range features five players who were in this exact range, two draft picks, and two players who made huge surges from last year’s expectations. Every single one of these players are expected to make key contributions this year.

Here’s a look at the players our staff ranked 30-21 on the Lions roster.

Note: For methodology and more details, check out the first installment of this series.

Previously:

30. EDGE Josh Paschal (Highest ranking: 25, Lowest ranking: 34)


Last year’s ranking: 26

Paschal drops a few spots after failing to take the next step in his development in Year 3. With all of the injuries at defensive end last year, the hope was that Paschal could step in and make a huge difference. Unfortunately, in 10 starts, he managed just 21 tackles, 2.0 sacks, and eight quarterback hits. Paschal enters the final year of his rookie contract with no assurance that his future lies in Detroit.

29. WR Kalif Raymond (Highest: 20, Lowest: 35)


Last year’s ranking: 25

Despite another second-team All-Pro performance in 2024, Raymond also slipped in this year’s ranking. While he remains one of the best punt returners in the league, his offensive role has shrunk in each of the past two years. And with the drafting of Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett, the Lions could be headed toward a youth movement, while Raymond, soon-to-be 31, is entering the final year of his deal.

28. K Jake Bates (Highest: 13, Lowest: 38)


Last year’s ranking: 58

Bates blew expectations out of the water in 2024, earning himself a 30-player jump in this year’s ranking. Despite a shaky training camp, Bates finished the year an impressive 26-of-29 on field goals, with his only three misses coming from 40 yards or longer. Most impressively, he was 6-of-8 from 50+ yards and nailed a few game-winning kicks.

There’s some disagreement among staff on how high he ranks, which is likely due to a small sample size from the 26-year-old kicker.

27. WR Tim Patrick (Highest: 21, Lowest: 29)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

Added at the end of training camp last year, Patrick quickly found himself as the team’s starting X-receiver. His statline may not look all that impressive (33 catches, 394 yards, 3 TDs), but he was an impact player as a run blocker, and coaches constantly praised his ability to make the right plays away from the ball.

26. P Jack Fox (Highest: 11, Lowest: 34)


Last year’s ranking: 22

Fox drops four spots despite leading the NFL in net punting yards last year (winning free beer from Jared Goff in the process). I believe his fall has less to do with Fox himself and more to do with a stronger top-25 roster for Detroit.

25. DT Tyleik Williams (Highest: 20, Lowest: 28)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

The Lions’ first-round pick just barely cracks the top 25. We didn’t get to see much of him in the spring, as the Lions eased him in following an offseason injury. But given the injury to Alim McNeill, it’s entirely possible we see a lot of Williams early.

24. EDGE Marcus Davenport (Highest: 16, Lowest: 30)


Last year’s ranking: 27

It’s certainly surprising to see Davenport actually climb three spots after missing most of the 2024 season with an injury. Given that health was already a big concern, there’s an understandable skepticism about his NFL future. However, the coaching staff continues to hype him up, and the fact that the Lions didn’t add any other starting-capable pieces to the EDGE room perhaps has our staff feeling a little optimistic about his chances.

23. iOL Graham Glasgow (Highest: 15, Lowest: 34)


Last year’s ranking: 16

Glasgow had a rough year at left guard in 2024, but he’ll be a key piece in 2025. Whether it was the move to the left side, a lingering injury, or just normal regression at his age, Glasgow’s play wasn’t up to his lofty standards. With the retirement of Frank Ragnow, Glasgow is now the veteran among a very young interior offensive line group. Whether he’s at center or guard, his knowledge of the offensive scheme and defensive pressures will be critical.

22. iOL Tate Ratledge (Highest: 19, Lowest: 28)


Last year’s ranking: N/A

Interestingly enough, Detroit’s second-round pick places higher on this list than their first-round selection. That speaks to his importance to the team because of the aforementioned Ragnow retirement. At this point, it isn’t clear whether Ratledge will play center or guard, but there is a high probability he’ll be starting in Week 1.

21. iOL Christian Mahogany (Highest: 17, Lowest: 33)


Last year’s ranking: 49

All three projected interior offensive line starters rank right next to each other. It’s fascinating that Mahogany, the team’s sixth-round pick in 2024, places above the other two. Including the playoffs, Mahogany started just two games last year, but he was fantastic in those minimal performances. Will that translate to a full season of strong play? Our staff seems to think so.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...every-player-2025-detroit-lions-roster-top-30
 
Training camp preview: How Malcolm Rodriguez’s injury impacts LB room

NFL: AUG 25 Preseason - Lions at Panthers

Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The next installment in our training camp preview series looks at the Detroit Lions’ linebacker group.

In this installment of our Detroit Lions 2025 training camp preview series, we examine the Lions’ linebackers, speculate on current and future roles, and discuss how many players from this group could make the 53-man roster.

Previous training camp previews:

Setting the table


Entering 2024, the Lions finally had players in their correct positional roles, and as a whole, were experienced enough to be a force on defense. Unfortunately, the starting trio of Alex Anzalone, Jack Campbell, and Derrick Barnes only lasted three games before Barnes landed on injured reserve.

For the first half of the season, the Lions were able to get by with only losing Barnes, but it wasn’t long before injuries began to pile up. Malcolm Rodriguez was injured, and Abraham Beauplan was briefly (two weeks) signed for depth. Jalen Reeves-Maybin landed on injured reserve, and the Lions signed Ezekiel Turner. When Anzalone broke his forearm and landed on IR, the Lions signed David Long. When Rodriguez tore his ACL and landed on IR, Kwon Alexander was signed and was eventually replaced by Anthony Pittman. Reeves-Maybin and Anzalone returned to action, and Long was released near the end of the season. It was a whirlwind final 10 games for the linebacker room, which at one point had four of their top five players on injured reserve.

Entering 2025, the Lions opened the offseason with four of their top five linebackers under contract: Campbell, Anzalone (who is reportedly looking for a new contract), Rodriguez (who is expected to be out until November), and Reeves-Maybin, who was eventually released in a salary cap savings move.

To help stabilize the room, the Lions quickly re-signed Barnes to a three-year contract, then re-signed Turner, Pittman, Trevor Nowaske (ERFA tender), and practice squader DaRon Gilbert (futures) to one-year deals. Additionally, Grant Stuard was given a fully guaranteed one-year contract in free agency and will likely be a Reeves-Maybin replacement. Beauplan was also signed this offseason; however, he was released before OTAs when the Lions signed Zach Cunningham.

Roster construction


Under the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell regime, the Lions have heavily leaned on their linebacker group to contribute on special teams, which is why they tend to keep a larger number of linebackers than other teams. Six has previously been the magic number when speculating roster decisions, but things could be changing with the introduction of the SAM role.

Let’s take a look at what they’ve done at linebacker in the previous four seasons:

  • 2021: Opened the season with five linebackers, using three on defense and two on special teams. Another special teamer was added mid-season, and they ended the year with six.
  • 2022: The pattern of starting with five but ending with six was repeated.
  • 2023: The Lions started the season with six this time around and finished with six once again.
  • 2024: With the expansion of the SAM role, the Lions opened the season with seven linebackers, while also finishing the season with seven.

Understanding the Lions’ LB roles


The Lions’ defensive base is a 4-2-5 scheme, which means four defensive linemen, two off-the-ball linebackers, and five defensive backs. However, they also deploy a 4-3 defensive set that features a hybrid linebacker role that is designed to pressure offenses.

The two base linebackers are called the MIKE (last year’s starter: Jack Campbell) and WILL (Alex Anzalone), and both will typically line up inside the tackle box. The MIKE is on the front side and is used as a hammer against the run. While the WILL lines up on the backside and uses speed/instincts to chase the play.

There is a third, hybrid linebacker role called the SAM (Derrick Barnes), but it does not operate like a traditional SAM in a 4-3 scheme. In Detroit, the SAM is deployed outside the tackle box, typically on the line of scrimmage. SAM responsibilities include rushing the passer, overloading the box in certain running situations, and dropping into coverage.


The battleground


With Campbell, Anzalone, and Barnes set to return to their starting roles, the Lions are in good shape. But with Rodriguez’s ACL recovery potentially keeping him out until November, the Lions do have some questions surrounding their depth roles.

Who is LB4 with Rodriguez injured?

With Rodriguez likely out for the first half of the season, the Lions' depth roles are very much up for grabs. What makes Rodriguez unique is his ability to play both WILL (his best spot) and MIKE, a combination only Anzalone and Barnes have previously shown.

If a player is going to claim a legitimate LB4/first off the bench role, they’ll have to show the range and reliability to win the job. If no one steps up, players will likely only be called upon in situational roles that best feature their skill sets.

Who are the Lions candidates?

Let’s look at the candidates to round out the LB depth chart, keeping in mind, at least three will probably make the 53-man roster.

  • Grant Stuard, WILL: Heading into his fifth season, Stuard is primarily known for his excellent special teams play, where he was the Colts’ team captain. He caught Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp’s attention last season, and the coach will certainly have a role set aside for him. Stuard didn’t contribute much on defense through his first three seasons in the NFL, but last season he played in 11 games, starting six at WILL. As a seek-and-destroy defender, he’s suited well to defend the run—something that showed up in his 19-tackle debut against the Dolphins—but he’ll need to show he can cover if he wants to win the LB4 job.
  • Trevor Nowaske, SAM/MIKE: After losing him to the Cardinals during his rookie season, the Lions wasted no time reacquiring Nowaske once he became available at cutdowns last year. It took a couple of weeks to reacclimate to Detroit, and he played a depth role for another month, but the Lions eventually gave him a shot to start at SAM, and he seized his chance. Nowaske would officially start just two games last season, but he averaged 28 snaps per game for the remainder of the year. Nowaske gives the Lions more depth at SAM (behind Barnes), has the range to play MIKE in a pinch, and is a starter on special teams, making him a valuable player in multiple areas.
  • Zach Cunningham, MIKE: A true MIKE linebacker, Cunningham brings a load of experience to the Lions defense, and even led the NFL in tackling (both total: 164, and solo: 106) in 2020. While he’s not the player he was five years ago, Cunningham brings a sense of dependability, similarly to how the Lions leaned on David Long and Kwon Alexander last season.
  • Ezekiel Turner, WILL: With the Lions scrambling to add healthy bodies, Turner was the first linebacker the Lions acquired, and he managed to outlast several more experienced players (i.e., Long and Alexander). One of the reasons Turner stuck was his special teams abilities, including filling in at the all-important personal protector (PP) role on special teams when Reeves-Maybin was out of the lineup. With Reeves-Maybin no longer on the roster, the Lions will be looking for another PP this training camp, and while winning that job alone won’t get him on the roster, it would certainly help his case.
  • Anthony Pittman, SAM/MIKE: After joining the Commanders during 2024 free agency, Pittman was a mid-season release and jumped at the opportunity to return to Detroit. Pittman played MIKE at Wayne State, but began his career as a JACK linebacker with the previous coaching staff. He stuck around when coach Dan Campbell was hired, and has been a reserve SAM linebacker and starting special teamer—leading Detroit in special teams snaps over multiple seasons.
  • DaRon Gilbert, WILL: A UDFA rookie in 2024, Gilbert spent the season on the Lions practice squad learning and gaining weight/strength. Like Turner, Gilbert is a former safety who played his college ball around 214 pounds, but after a year in the NFL, he’s now listed as 231 a more suitable weight for an NFL linebacker. He flew under the radar last training camp, but with a year of learning under his belt, it’ll be interesting to see how far he’s developed.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...ng-camp-preview-linebackers-malcolm-rodriguez
 
Jared Goff, Christen Goff welcome their newborn daughter

14th Annual NFL Honors - Arrivals

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

Welcome to the world Romy Isabelle Goff.

Jared and Christen Goff are now officially parents. The duo announced the birth of their infant daughter, Romy Isabelle Goff, in a photo gallery posted to Instagram Tuesday afternoon.


This is their first child together, and the planning could not have gone better. With veterans set to report for Detroit Lions training camp on Saturday, Jared has nearly a full week to support his wife and spend time with his newborn girl.

Back during OTAs, Goff expressed how excited he was to become a father.

“There’s all sorts of advice I’m getting now—how hard it’s going to be and all that stuff,” Goff said. “And I’m excited for it. It’s something I’ve looked forward to for a long time, and my wife and I have looked forward to. Yeah, it can’t come soon enough, and we’re excited.”

Congrats to Christen and Jared on becoming the newest Detroit Lions mom and dad.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...-christen-goff-welcome-newborn-daughter-birth
 
Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to climb top-10 WR list, per coaches, scouts

Minnesota Vikings v Detroit Lions

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

When it comes to 2025 NFL top-10 WR rankings, Detroit Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to climb.

By now, Amon-Ra St. Brown isn’t catching anyone by surprise.

The Detroit Lions’ 2021 fourth-round pick may have been the 16th receiver off the board that draft cycle, but in four seasons, he’s already established himself as a top-10 receiver in the entire league. After back-to-back-to-back 1,000-yard and 100-catch seasons, that much isn’t up for debate. The question is: how high can he climb?

In ESPN’s survey of NFL executives, coaches, and scouts, St. Brown has climbed to the No. 6 receiver in the league, trailing only Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb, and A.J. Brown. One person placed St. Brown in the top three, another had him outside the top-10 completely.

“He doesn’t have the size but he has these high-level traits: Feet, hands, instincts, run-after-catch, competitive toughness,” an NFC executive told ESPN.

St. Brown has steadily improved his ranking in these annual surveys since coming into the league. After his first 1,000-yard season in 2022, St. Brown didn’t make the 2023 top-10 but was among the honorable mentions. Last year, he catapulted into the top-10, ranking seventh in the NFL. Now, he sits just outside the top-five after back-to-back All-Pro seasons.

“Has elite football instincts for the position,” an NFL coordinator said. “Understands how to attack leverage. Runs hard every play. Plays inside and outside. Makes all the tough catches on high-leverage downs. Blocks, plays physical. The only thing he doesn’t do is win outside the red line [close to the sideline], but that’s not how the game works anyways.”

Also worth noting is that while Jameson Williams did not place in the top 10, nor was he listed as one of the six honorable mentions, he did receive top-10 votes, per the article. If he could make the jump that some within the Lions organization are expecting, maybe he’s on next year’s list?

Here’s where other Lions have ranked on these ESPN top-10 surveys:

QB: Jared Goff — 8th
RB: Jahmyr Gibbs — 3rd
TE: Sam LaPorta — 3rd
OT Penei Sewell — 2nd
EDGE: Aidan Hutchison — 7th
DT: None (Alim McNeill received votes)
LB: None (Jack Campbell received votes)
S: Brian Branch — 2nd; Kerby Joseph — 5th

ESPN will release their final positional rankings (cornerbacks) on Thursday.

Source: https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025...25-amon-ra-st-brown-detroit-lions-espn-survey
 
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