Aidan Hutchinson propels the Lions' lofty defensive line ranking from PFF ahead of 2025
The Lions ranking is probably higher than fans might expect...
The Detroit Lions are not known at this point for their stellar defensive line play, but Pro Football Focus still holds the unit in high regard.
PFF released its 2025 NFL Defensive Line Rankings on Wednesday, putting the Pittsburgh Steelers at the top spot with T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward leading the way. The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles came in at No. 2 despite the departures of Josh Sweat and Milton Williams.
The Lions, despite a 2024 season marred by injuries and a lack of pass rush impact, are ranked at No. 6 by PFF entering 2025. The experts putting together this list even acknowledged they could've landed even higher than that.
"The Detroit Lions' defensive line may deserve a higher ranking based on on-paper talent, but there are quite a few question marks surrounding the health of its top players," wrote PFF NFL contributor Zoltán Buday.
PFF pointed out the Defensive Player of the Year campaign Aidan Hutchinson led at the beginning of 2024, leading all edge defenders with a 94.9 overall grade. Hutchinson has been fully cleared for all activities ahead of the start of training camp.
The pending return of Alim McNeill also had an impact on this ranking. McNeill tore his ACL late last season but ranked ninth among interior defenders in his PFF overall grade (79.6) before going down. His return will have a significant effect on the performance of the defense as a whole this season, but it may be a while before the Lions see him on the field.
PFF ranked the Lions a spot behind the Buffalo Bills and a spot ahead of the Cleveland Browns. Remaining NFC North teams fell far outside the top 10 with the Minnesota Vikings at No. 16, Chicago Bears at No. 18, and Green Bay Packers at No. 24.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Bears All-Quarter Century Team: Cornerbacks
Twenty-five years of Chicago Bears football are in the books since the turn of the century. Since the calendar turned over to 2000, the Bears have seen some success, but also plenty of woeful stretches. Early on, Chicago became a defensive force, claiming four division titles and reaching only their second Super Bowl in franchise history from 2000 to 2010. Since then, however, a 14-year playoff victory drought that is still ongoing and a one-sided fight with their rival Green Bay Packers have taken the spotlight. For all the ups and downs the Bears have seen, however, they had plenty of talent over the years across offense and defense. Multiple former Bears players are already in the Hall of Fame, while many more provided years of incredible play in the navy and orange. Here at Bears Wire, we're celebrating the best Bears players at each position over the last 25 years. Next up is cornerback, a group that has featured plenty of ballhawks—and a player who changed the game with forcing fumbles. Charles Tillman We may never see another cornerback quite like Charles "Peanut" Tillman. The lengthy physical defensive back burst onto the scene during his rookie season with the Bears in 2003 when he ripped the ball out of Randy Moss's hands in the end zone to secure a victory, and he became an integral member of Lovie Smith's defense. Tillman ranks third all-time for Bears career interception leaders with 36 and proved to be a great cover corner, having legendary battles with the likes of Calvin Johnson and Jordy Nelson throughout his career. But it was his knack for forcing fumbles that gave him national recognition. Tillman's 44 career forced fumbles are tied for sixth all-time in NFL history, but he's the only defensive back inside the top 10. "The Peanut Punch" became a staple in the 2010s for Tillman's ability to force fumbles on ball carriers. For his efforts, Tillman earned a pair of Pro Bowl honors in 2011 and 2012, as well as being named First-Team All-Pro for his league-leading 10 forced fumbles in 2012. Going against Tillman was difficult in itself for wide receivers, but then they had to watch out if they actually caught the ball. He's one of the most underrated defensive backs in league history and rightfully sits atop the position group for the Bears. Jaylon Johnson Jaylon Johnson has come a long way since his first NFL game when he got trucked by Marvin Jones Jr. The 2020 second-round pick has slowly but surely developed into one of the NFL's best cornerbacks, thanks to his elite cover skills. Johnson may not have the gaudy interception totals like some of his peers, but he's a problem for opposing quarterbacks. So much so that they opt to avoid him altogether. After a solid few seasons in the league, Johnson broke out in 2023, becoming the highest-graded cornerback of the season according to PFF. He allowed an opposing quarterback rating of just 50.9, according to Pro Football Reference, and he nabbed four interceptions. Johnson made his first Pro Bowl that season and was named Second-Team All-Pro. He maintained expectations in 2024 as well, despite a tumultuous season from the team around him. At 26 years old, Johnson is in the prime of his career and has a chance to become the Bears' best cornerback of the 21st century when his career is complete. Kyle Fuller It's easy to forget how wild Kyle Fuller's career was for the Bears. He looked like the heir apparent to Tillman during his rookie season when he shined on the national stage and then was on the verge of becoming a bust in 2016 when he missed the entire season and fell out of favor with Vic Fangio. It took some time, but Fuller found his footing and became a sensational ballhawk beginning in 2017. Despite entering the year as a backup, Fuller became a starter again thanks to injury and didn't let it go. He totaled 22 pass breakups and finally looked like the first-round pick the team invested in three years earlier. Fuller peaked in 2018 with seven interceptions and 21 pass breakups, which led the league, during the Bears' division title run, culminating in a Pro Bowl nod and being named First-Team All-Pro. Fuller took chances playing off the ball and had a knack for jumping routes at the perfect time. It was risky, but he came out on top more often than not. Fuller earned another Pro Bowl trip in 2019 and had a solid end to his Bears career in 2020. It took some time, but Fuller lived up to his potential in the end. Tim Jennings Near the end of the Lovie Smith era, the Bears were in need of a quality cornerback to start opposite Tillman. Nathan Vasher struggled with injuries, and Zackary Bowman was a flash in the pan. The solution was to sign Tim Jennings as a free agent in 2010, and it didn't take him long to become the starter the Bears needed. Jennings helped improve the Bears' run defense early in his tenure and took advantage of the targets that came his way in the passing game when teams were avoiding Tillman. In 2012, Jennings led the league with nine interceptions while also finishing with 21 pass breakups. He earned Pro Bowl honors that season and was named Second-Team All-Pro, finishing just behind Tillman. His strong play continued in 2013, despite the Bears changing regimes and hiring a new defensive staff. Jennings totaled four interceptions and 13 pass breakups. He even scored two defensive touchdowns, which led the league for a defensive player. Despite being undersized at 5'8", Jennings was a productive outside cornerback who played bigger than his frame. Honorable mention: Nathan Vasher
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Mexico vs. Saudi Arabia: How to watch, TV channel, live stream
Mexico will face Saudi Arabia in a Gold Cup quarterfinal on Saturday night in Glendale, Ariz. Javier Aguirre's side finished first in Group A, defeating Dominican Republic 3-2 and Suriname 2-0 before drawing 0-0 against Costa Rica to close out group play. Mexico has been especially effective from dead-ball situations, with four of its five goals coming from set pieces. Center back César Montes has been the team's unlikely leading scorer with three goals. The defending champions will have to do without Luis Chávez for the rest of the tournament, with the midfielder suffering a torn ACL in training this week. Watch Mexico vs. Saudi Arabia on Prime Video Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, was the one guest team of the 16 in this tournament, and advanced from Group D by finishing second with a 1-1-1 record. Hervé Renard's side has kept things tight in its three matches so far, with just two goals scored and two conceded. This game will be a rematch of a meeting at the 2022 World Cup, when Mexico won 2-1 in the final game of the group stage. Both teams ended up being eliminated, despite Saudi Arabia starting the tournament with a win over eventual champion Argentina. The winner of this match will face the winner between Panama and Honduras in the semifinal at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif on Wednesday. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the game. How to watch Mexico vs. Saudi Arabia Mexico vs. Saudi Arabia prediction Mexico is the tournament favorite and defending champion, but Saudi Arabia has shown the ability to frustrate opponents in this Gold Cup. We say Mexico barely pulls it out with a 1-0 win. We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Super Bowl halftime performer arrested months after protest
The Super Bowl performer detained after waving a flag reading 'Sudan and Free Gaza' during Kendrick Lamar's halftime show was arrested on Thursday. Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, a 41-year-old man from New Orleans, surrendered himself to the Louisiana state police on charges of resisting an officer and disturbing the peace by interruption of a lawful assembly, The Associated Press reported. Both charges could lead to 6 months in prison. According to the police, Nantambu 'deviated from his assigned role, retrieved a Sudanese flag bearing the message 'Sudan and Free Gaza,' and disrupted the halftime show by running across the field with a flag.' During the performance, Nantambu stood on a car used as a prop during the show, branded the flag and then ran across the field before being tackled by security. 'In coordination with the National Football League, troopers learned that Nantambu had permission to be on the field during the performance, but did not have permission to demonstrate as he did,' state police told the AP. Following the incident in February, the NFL banned the man for life from all of the league's stadiums. The New Orleans police said he would not face charges, but the state police took up the case. On Feb. 10, Nantambu told NBC that he wanted to 'highlight the human suffering,' in both Sudan and Palestine via the protest. Since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, nearly 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Several thousand people have also been killed in Sudan amid a civil war as millions experience extreme hunger. 'I hope God shifts Trump's heart to be empathetic and compassionate to those who are suffering in Palestine and do what is right by the Palestinians,' Nantambu said to NBC in February. Brian McCarthy, the vice president of communication for the NFL, told the AP that the league takes disruptions to games 'very seriously' and that it is 'please this individual will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.' In an unrelated case, Nantambu is cited as a victim in a May 17 shooting involving former NFL player Antonio Brown. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
