For all the warts that the Detroit Lions carried in 2025, they're a rare case of team that still has a wide-open window of opportunity for contention thanks to their core of locked-in stars on offense.
Jahmyr Gibbs is the obvious odd man out on that front, but it feels safe to assume that he'll be getting his pay day very soon from the Lions. Other than him, though, their lineup that features Jameson Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Penei Sewell is a formidable one.
In ESPN's latest positional ranking ahead of the 2026 season, wide receivers got their day with a top-10 list constructed based on an anonymous survey of coaches, executives, and scouts. Two teams got two players within the top-10 (the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams), but it really could've been three, as St. Brown was named the 5th best receiver in the league, and as Williams was just an honorable mention.
"St. Brown's 582 yards after catch in 2025 were third among all receivers. And the Lions wideout is the only player with at least 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches in each of the past three seasons. He's also the only player to record such a streak in Lions franchise history."
"Only Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (four) has more overall. Another dimension to St. Brown's game that stands out is his blocking. As one veteran coach says, St. Brown can help the offense function as if it's in 12 personnel (two tight ends) despite being in 11 personnel (one tight end) because of how he supports the running game."
Lions' receiving core earn spots on latest ESPN ranking
Davante Adams and Puka Nacua earn understandable slots within the top-10 of this list, as well as George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb. It does feel like Williams is one breakout season away from earning a spot alongside St. Brown on a list like this.
Another key note: St. Brown had gotten as low as an "unranked" vote for this ranking, which means someone surveyed didn't even think he was one of the best receivers in the league, let alone worth putting on this top-10 list. That's simply inexcusable.
As mentioned in the article, he's one of the best do-it-all receivers in the NFL. He can block, he can make big plays, and he's a consistent 1,000+ yard receiver for the Lions. To not even mention him on your survey feels like either a massive oversight, or the vote of a coach or exec that's been burned by St. Brown.
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Williams' knocks from the survey include that his hands aren't as reliable as they could be - which, by the way, is something he's told reporters he's working on this offseason - and that he doesn't naturally "get in and out of breaks," which is to say, he doesn't change direction on a dime nearly as effectively as someone like St. Brown. This is another area he's improving in, though.
It's clear as day that the Lions' receiving core is one of the best in the league, and certainly in the NFC North. And, that's without factoring in the hands of a healthy Sam LaPorta, or the unknown improvement from Isaac TeSlaa headed into his second season.
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