Detroit Lions land high on ranking of teams with best talent under 25 years old

The Detroit Lions are leaning on a lot of young players, and they’ve landed highly on ESPN’s 1-32 ranking of the NFL teams with the best talent under 25 years old.

Through two offseasons of the latest rebuild, the Detroit Lions have gone very young. Rooted in necessity at times, their 2021 rookie class played more snaps than any other team’s rookie class last year. As the team looks to take the next step this year, that goes in the books as valuable experience for those young players.

In ranking NFL teams by the talent they have on the roster that’s under 25 years old, ESPN/Football Outsiders has not looked kindly on the Lions’ group of young talent lately. In 2021, they ranked 23rd on the list. In 2020, Detroit ranked 26th.

In the new under-25 talent ranking for 2022 from ESPN and Football Outsiders (subscription required), the Lions jump all the way up to No. 7.

Per writer Scott Spratt:

"Unlike some previous hapless Detroit teams, Campbell’s Lions offer a reason for optimism in their leap from the bottom 10 in under-25 talent in 2020 and 2021 to seventh this year,”"

The future looks bright for the Detroit Lions

The work Brad Holmes has done in two drafts as Lions’ general manager has been regarded well, as he goes through the process of building a roster that’ll hopefully become a contender. He’s had a measured approach, and he will not rush anything. That said,  his aggressiveness to move up and get Jameson Williams in April’s draft is to be appreciated.

The young talent in Detroit will have to blossom into a good team eventually, or this will become another failed rebuild in the past 60-plus years with one playoff win for the franchise.

But for once there’s an air of genuine hope around the Lions this year, with genuine, credible-looking people in positions of authority.