One major outlet is particularly high on the Detroit Lions’ skill talent in 2026.
Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano ranked all 32 teams’ skill position groups– meaning wide receivers, running backs and tight ends lumped together— and Detroit came in at No. 2.
Vacchiano wrote:
"“Amon-Ra St. Brown might be the most unheralded elite receiver in the league. Few can match his numbers the past four years. And Jameson Williams is one of the best deep threats in the league. The Lions also long had the best 1-2 RB punch, and there shouldn’t be much of a drop-off now as Isiah Pacheco replaces David Montgomery as Jahmyr Gibbs’ sidekick.”"Ralph Vacchiano, Fox Sports
The only team ranked above the Lions was the Los Angeles Rams— this year’s overwhelming Super Bowl favorite currently.
And there’s an argument to be made that the Lions have more depth than the Rams, strictly at these three positions in totality.
Lions' skill position depth is almost next to none
Detroit has a trio of talented receivers with clear, defined roles in slot Amon-Ra St. Brown, deep threat Jameson Williams and contested catch specialist Isaac TeSlaa.
Los Angeles may have the league’s best wideout duo in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, but there isn’t a lot of talent behind those two. Adams is also 33 years old, and we could see a step back from his leading the NFL in receiving touchdowns last year.
The Rams have a stronger running back duo with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, and a deep tight end room with Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee and Davis Allen. But it wouldn’t be tough to argue that the Lions have two players at those positions (Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta) that are better than any of those Rams players.
It comes down to what you value between top-end star talent and depth. Both the Lions and Rams have a fair amount of both distributed across the three positions in different ways.
Gibbs, St. Brown, Williams and LaPorta are all proven stars at this point. We know what those guys are capable of.
If there's a weak link in Detroit's primary skill position group, it's Pacheco. But Gibbs is expected to be featured so heavily it won't matter much. This is not going to be 'Sonic and Knuckles 2.0'.
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TeSlaa’s contributions are maybe the biggest X-Factor in putting Detroit over Los Angeles. If everyone stays healthy, he probably tops out as the fifth option in this offense, and that's while he isn’t having a very good preseason.
But TeSlaa turned six of his 16 receptions last year into touchdowns. If he can hit the slightest uptick in volume, he might enter the conversation as one of the three or four best WR3s in the NFL.
That could stake the Lions’ claim for the best skill position group in the league — especially if the offense puts up gaudy numbers as a whole.
Vacchiano was in agreement.
"Detroit could easily be No. 1 on this list if TE Sam LaPorta bounces back with a healthy season and if third receiver Isaac TeSlaa builds off his strong finish to last year. Those are two "ifs" worth watching this summer. But even if everything doesn’t work out perfectly, this offense should still be explosive."Ralph Vacchiano, Fox Sports
It sure didn’t work out perfectly for the Lions last year, and they still finished with a top 5 offense in football. The floor for this group is extremely high if health allows.
The Lions have a wealth of options at quarterback Jared Goff’s disposal. They just need some better offensive line play, and this could be the best offense in the league.
There are two more questions for this group aside from the two Vacchiano outlined. Can Gibbs handle the responsibility of a bona fide workhorse back? And can Williams continue the upward trajectory he’s enjoyed every year of his NFL career?
Both players are so talented that it’s easy to feel confident about both of them. It’ll be on new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing to maximize the talent at his disposal and guide the Lions back into the playoffs.
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