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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.
