Detroit Lions top ESPN positional rankings with nine elite players
ESPN's 2026 positional top-10 series ended with the Detroit Lions alone at the summit: nine players made the cut, more than any other franchise after league executives, coaches, and scouts weighed in. That total edged Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Houston, cementing Detroit as the NFL roster with the deepest elite talent.
The final safeties list sealed it — Brian Branch fourth and Kerby Joseph ninth — giving Detroit the NFL's only top-10 safety duo. For a roster once synonymous with losing, the poll reads less like hype and more like a consensus that Dan Campbell's team now owns the league's deepest elite talent pool.
Key Takeaways
- Detroit placed nine players on ESPN's positional top-10 lists, edging Philadelphia (eight), Kansas City (seven), and Houston (six).
- Brian Branch (No. 4) and Kerby Joseph (No. 9) are the only pair of safeties both ranked in the top 10.
- Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Aidan Hutchinson, and Jack Campbell also earned top-tier recognition.
- Branch and Joseph face injury questions that could limit how quickly Detroit converts roster talent into wins.
- Defensive tackle Alim McNeill did not make the lists, but analysts argue training camp could restore his overlooked standing.
Why do the Detroit Lions lead ESPN's positional rankings?
ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler wrapped the annual series Thursday by polling league executives, coaches, and scouts at each position. When the safeties list dropped, Detroit's count stood at nine — ahead of every rival.
The Philadelphia Eagles landed eight top-10 players, the Kansas City Chiefs seven, and the Houston Texans six. San Francisco, Baltimore, and Dallas each had five. No other team matched Detroit's sheer volume of consensus elite talent.
Which Lions players made ESPN's top 10 lists?
With the safeties installment complete, Pride of Detroit tallied a roster that spans both sides of the ball: a top-10 quarterback in Jared Goff, a top-2 running back in Jahmyr Gibbs, and top-5 finishers at tight end (Sam LaPorta), wide receiver (Amon-Ra St. Brown), defensive end (Aidan Hutchinson), and linebacker (Jack Campbell).
Left tackle Penei Sewell ranked first at his position. On defense, Branch and Joseph closed the series at No. 4 and No. 9, respectively — down from last year's No. 2 and No. 5 slots, but still enough to make the Lions the only franchise with two top-10 safeties.
Can the Lions' elite safeties stay healthy in 2026?
That depth comes with a caveat. Branch tore his Achilles in early December and is expected to miss at least the first month of the season, though Pride of Detroit noted he has not suffered a setback in recovery.
Joseph's outlook is murkier. Dan Campbell has described his knee condition as something to manage rather than fully resolve, and the Lions shelved him this spring. Campbell said in June he does not know how the knee will respond once Joseph returns to game action — an uncertainty that could shape Detroit's secondary plans and even Joseph's long-term future given a $16.6 million option bonus looming in 2027.
Is Alim McNeill the overlooked Lions star to watch?
Not every Detroit standout appeared on ESPN's lists. Defensive tackle Alim McNeill, who graded as a top-10 interior lineman in 2023 and 2024 per Pro Football Focus, missed the cut after a down 2025 season following an ACL tear.
A to Z Sports argued analysts have moved on too quickly. McNeill has acknowledged he returned too early last year, but his revamped rehab — including Pilates and new training methods — could position him for a rebound when training camp opens. As the Celebrity Breaking News desk tracks roster shifts, McNeill's camp performance may decide whether Detroit's depth extends beyond the nine names already validated by ESPN's league-wide poll.