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All-Under-25 Team: Drake Maye, Abdul Carter among NFL's ascending young players entering 2026 season (RB Jahmyr Gibbs Detroit Lions · Age 24. Detroit’s backfield became Gibbs’ in 2025, a season that wasn’t quite as good as his 2024 showing but one that provided a necessary lesson for a Lions team that was always going to pivot toward Gibbs as the lead runner. Detroit learned last year how important a healthy offensive line is for its chances of success, then acted accordingly in the 2026 offseason, setting up Gibbs for what could be his best campaign yet. After watching Gibbs pile up 3,580 rushing yards, 1,449 receiving yards and 49 total touchdowns in his first three seasons, we know he is an elite running back. There’s no questioning his place on this team, but this will be his final appearance, as he turns 25 next March. S Brian Branch - Detroit Lions · Age 24. I had a tough time picking between Branch and Falcons safety Xavier Watts for this spot. Ultimately, I chose Branch because of the consistency he has demonstrated in his first three NFL seasons. In Years 1 and 2, Branch racked up 29 passes defensed, seven interceptions, two forced fumbles, 183 tackles (15 for loss) and two sacks, doing a bit of everything at safety for Detroit. 2025 saw Branch encounter injury hurdles, limiting him to 12 games, although he more than doubled his career sack total (with 2.5 on the season) and posted nice numbers across the board. Hopefully, the torn Achilles that Branch suffered in December doesn't bleed too far into his 2026 campaign. But seeing how he turns 25 in October, this is his last year of eligibility for this team, and it's an honor he earned with exquisite play from Day 1 in the league.):
https://www.nfl.com/news/all-under-25-team-drake-maye-abdul-carter-among-nfl-s-ascending-young-players-entering-2026-season
Which NFL cellar-dwellers will go worst to first in 2026? (2. Lions - 2025 record: 9-8. Odds to win NFC North: +180. The Lions are favored to win the NFC North this year, but that wasn't enough to convince me to put them at the top of this list. The problem is that I have a few concerns about this team and those kept me from putting Detroit in the top spot. For one, this team went 2-4 in divisional games last season, including a 23-10 loss to the Vikings in a must-win Week 17 game. Did I mention that Max Brosmer was the starting QB for Minnesota in that game? Because Max Brosmer was the starting QB for Minnesota in that game. The Lions desperately needed to beat the Vikings to keep their playoff hopes alive, but instead, they choked. This team went 8-1 last year when they scored 34 points or more, but just 2-7 when they scored 33 points or less. That's not sustainable. The Lions did make a few small moves this offseason -- like adding center Cade Mays, DE D.J. Wonnum and CB Roger McCreary -- but this team is largely running it back with most of the same roster they had last year and they barely finished over .500 last year. OK, so I just read over those last two paragraphs that I wrote and they sound negative, so let me end on a positive: The Lions still have one of the most electrifying offenses in the NFL and that unit should be able to carry them through the season. This team will almost certainly finish above .500 and will absolutely compete for the division title, but the NFC North is a loaded division and it won't be easy to win. Fun fact: The Lions have only gone worst-to-first one time in franchise history and that came all the way back in 1993.):
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-worst-to-first-teams-ranked/
Every NFC team's biggest training camp question (Detroit Lions: Can their defense stay healthy? Yes, it's training camp. The Detroit Lions aren't playing real games just yet just like the rest of the league. However, the biggest issue for this team is the health of their defense, especially after cutting former first-round pick cornerback Terrion Arnold this offseason. A knee injury cut short 2024 first team All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph's 2025 season to just six games. Pro Bowl safety Brian Branch's 2025 campaign ended with an Achilles rupture after 12 games, and a hamstring injury stole six games from cornerback D.J. Reed's 2025 season. Both Joseph and Branch will start camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Health and cohesion in Detroit's defensive backfield will be crucial and worth keeping an eye on out at Lions' training camp.):
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-training-camp-storylines-2026-nfc/
PFF Tackle Rankings: The top 32 players ahead of the 2026 NFL season (1. Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions: For the second time in three years, Sewell finished the season as the NFL’s highest-graded offensive tackle. In 2025, he led the NFL with an incredible 96.7 PFF run-blocking grade while setting a new career-high with an 80.3 PFF pass-blocking grade. Sewell will slide over to left tackle full-time this season after the departure of Taylor Decker and the arrival of rookie right tackle Blake Miller. However, we shouldn’t expect much of a drop-off, if any, in Sewell’s level of production.):
https://www.pff.com/news/pff-tackle-rankings-the-top-32-players-ahead-of-the-2026-nfl-season
NFL wide receiver rankings: Which team boasts best, deepest WR corps? (5. Detroit Lions -Presumptive top 4 WRs: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, Greg Dortch. St. Brown remains prolific, even as his efficiency dipped in a disappointing season for the Lions. Williams is a wonderful counterbalance; a deep threat who averaged better than 17 yards per catch each of the last two seasons and can wiggle out of jams with the ball in his hands. TeSlaa is the enigma. The former Division II star was, on average, targeted deeper downfield than Williams and turned 27 targets into six touchdowns. Can his second season as a pro elevate him into a status beyond "bargain who saved your daily fantasy lineup?"):
https://ftw.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2026/07/27/nfl-wide-receiver-rankings-2026-vikings-rams-bengals-patriots-eagles/91026751007/
2026 NFL Preview: The 100 People Who'll Shape The Upcoming Season (QBs who will determine the SB - QB Jared Goff Detroit Lions: Detroit had a top-five offense last year in points, yards and a few other key stats, but it went 9-8 and missed the playoffs. Goff had 34 touchdowns against only eight interceptions, and he'll have a new offensive coordinator in Drew Petzing with a chance to get the Lions closer to their 15-2 record in 2024. The Lions' amazing 2023 draft class is getting very expensive very quickly, so there's a limited window to win with Goff ($53 million a year) before his supporting cast makes it hard to keep the depth you need to win at a high level. Coaches who must make the playoffs - HC Dan Campbell
Detroit Lions. Two playoff wins in 2023, then a 15-2 regular season in 2024, but Detroit is just 9-9 since then, including the playoffs. Losing Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn in the same offseason will do that to a franchise. Can Drew Petzing get more from Jared Goff and the offense? Can they overcome the arrest and subsequent release of cornerback Terrion Arnold, taking away a former first-round pick for at least part of the season? The NFC North will be a four-wide battle, perhaps for only two playoff spots, so a healthy Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph could help the Lions return to the postseason. Defensive player of the year candidates - DE Aidan Hutchinson Detroit Lions: Last season was a resounding return for Hutchinson after missing most of 2024 with injury, recording a career-best 14.5 sacks and as many forced fumbles (4) as he'd totaled in his first three seasons. His new deal pays him $45 million a year, and as Detroit works to get back to the playoffs in a super-tough division, he'll need to be at the top of his game. Much of the Lions' pass-rush depth is new, from rookie Derrick Moore to journeyman reserves like Peyton Turner and D.J. Wonnum. Offensive player of the year candidates - RB Jahmyr Gibbs Detroit Lions. Gibbs will soon join the rare fraternity of $20 million a year running backs, as he well should. In three NFL seasons, he's made three Pro Bowls and averaged 13 touchdowns and nearly 1,200 rushing yards per year, as well as 60 catches. Detroit disappointed last year with a 9-8 record, but should be back as a playoff team in a difficult NFC North. Can Gibbs get back to his elite 2024 play with new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing? Will he take on an even larger role with David Montgomery off to the Texans and Isiah Pacheco as the new RB2? The OL who can win games - OT Penei Sewell Detroit Lions: Sewell, arguably the best right tackle in the NFL with first-team All-Pro honors the last three years, now shifts to left tackle, trying to do what Tampa Bay's Tristan Wirfs did three years ago. That puts rookie Blake Miller at right tackle, with free-agent addition Cade Mays at center in a new-look Lions line. That's a central part of the Lions staying a top-five offense and getting back to the playoffs after just missing last year at 9-8. Sewell is only 25 years old, and a successful transition to the left only adds to his Hall of Fame trajectory in Detroit.):
https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/2026-nfl-preview-100-people-shape-upcoming-season
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