You know we're getting close to the start of the NFL season when the "Top 100" lists start coming out. It's always an exciting time to see where Detroit Lions stars stack up among their positions and league wide.
The latest Top 100 list comes from Pete Prisco of CBS Sports, and his list starts off in a terrifying way for the Lions and the entire league. Prisco tops his list with two Los Angeles Rams, with new acquisition EDGE Myles Garrett at #1 and reigning MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford at #2.
You don't have to scroll far to find the first Lion, as offensive tackle Penei Sewell slots in at #6 -- one spot ahead of Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. Sewell leaps to the #6 spot from #21 in last year's rankings.
Prisco cites Sewell's dominance in both the pass and run game as the reason for his high ranking, adding, "His ability to maul defenders in the run game is a big part of why the Lions run it so well." It remains to be seen how Sewell transitions to the left tackle spot, but if he's ranked #6 here, then Prisco must not be concerned.
The Lions' top-ranked defensive player isn't too far behind Sewell, as EDGE Aidan Hutchinson ranks #14, which is one spot higher than last season. Prisco praised Hutchinson's 14.5 sacks last season despite coming off an injury and an overall poor defensive line.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs is another riser, sitting at #21 this after ranking #32 last season. Prisco called Gibbs "the catalyst" of the Lions' offense. Add in the additional carries he's expected to get this season, and his rise in this ranking makes perfect sense. If you were curious, Atlanta Falcons' Bijan Robinson ranked #17 while San Francisco 49ers' Christian McCaffrey ranked #19. The top of the RB ranking is a close one, for sure.
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown makes a leap of his own, jumping from #58 to #46, with Prisco praising St. Brown for being "reliable in the middle." St. Brown is the only Lions' pass-catcher to make the list, after tight end Sam LaPorta dropped off the list after ranking #86 last season. So we'll have to wait another season for Jameson Williams to make his debut on Prisco's rankings.
That big of a leap doesn't compare to the one his QB had, with Goff going from #77 to #57. Prisco cites Goff finishing second in passing yards and TDs, while saying his good season was "overlooked" thanks to the team missing the playoffs.
Among QBs, Goff is Prisco's eighth-ranked QB, with the Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love just ahead of him at #51, but he manages to rank ahead of New England Patriots' Drake Maye, who ranks #61 on this list.
Was Jack Campbell ranked too low?
Much of Prisco's rankings of Lions players feel fair, but one ranking that sticks out like a sore thumb is his placement of linebacker Jack Campbell at #86. Granted, Prisco had Campbell unranked last year, so Campbell is still being recognized as a Top 100 player for the first time in this series of rankings.
Campbell's stellar 2025 season culminated in a First-Team All-Pro selection, along with the pro version of the Butkus award as the top LB and a brand new contract.
READ MORE: Jack Campbell had a funny apology for NFL linebackers following huge extension
Campbell's ranking might've been fine if he was the top-ranked off-ball LB, but he wasn't. 49ers' Fred Warner leads the way at #16 -- a huge gap between him and Campbell. Then one spot ahead of Campbell at #85 is Philadelphia Eagles' Zack Baun.
Baun was the 2024 season's First-Team All-Pro and Butkus winner. Prisco had Baun ranked #40 heading into 2025, after being unranked previously. Perhaps it was because Baun was coming off an Eagles' Super Bowl win, but if Baun could go from unranked to #40, surely Campbell could've gone higher here, right?
Alas, this is just one person's rankings and Prisco was kind to the other Lions on his list, moving them up his rankings. The Lions will continue to lean on Campbell in 2026, and if he has a repeat performance next season, he may find himself competing with Sewell and Hutchinson for the top-ranked Lion a year form now.
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