The Lions have the highest-graded composite roster when broken down by position groups after the 1st week of free agency
The Detroit Lions are slated to bring one of the more talented teams in football to the table once again in 2025.
ESPN NFL Senior Writer Mike Clay released his projections following the beginning of the new league year’s free agency opening, ranking the Lions at the top of the list for his Unit Grades. The grades are based on an objective ranking of each team at 10 key positions, weighted based on importance.
Clay ranked the Lions as the top overall team, with the best defensive unit and fifth-best offense. The next four teams in order are the Ravens, Eagles, Bills, and Chiefs.
The grades reflect the Lions’ lack of significant holes at these positions after the moves they’ve made in free agency, despite the needs they still need to address on the offensive and defensive lines. Their offensive grade is also boosted significantly by their backfield tandem, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who pushed them to a best-possible “10” on Clay’s scale.
The offensive line’s grade is “9” which is tied for the best OL unit in the league, as is safety with Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch looking to build on their momentum as a unit in 2025.
Jared Goff and the quarterback “unit” carry one of the lower scores of Clay’s rankings among the top teams. The Lions’ quarterback situation earned a “7” grade, likely highlighting Goff’s relative ceiling despite a career year in 2024 compared to the upside of other top-graded peers in Lamar Jackson (10), Josh Allen (10), Patrick Mahomes (10), and Jalen Hurts (8).
Clay’s projections also feature several other fields including projected standings, individual leaderboards, and strength of schedule.
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