Rest in Peace: Just Now, Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff died in a car crash today….
We’ve reached the top 30 players in our countdown of the 2024 Detroit Lions roster. While many of these players won’t be considered starters this year, almost all of them are expected to have a significant—if not, critical—role with the team. Two of these players produced the most iconic plays for 2023, two are newcomers expected to improve the Lions defense, and I would argue only one or two of these players are in danger of losing a roster spot this year.
Cominsky slides a tier down after a quiet 2023 season. While the veteran played in 16 games and started 11, his sacks were cut in half from last year (4.0 to 2.0), and his tackles for loss went from five to two. Now, with the addition of Marcus Davenport, the growth of Josh Paschal, and James Houston being healthy, Cominsky’s spot on the roster is no longer guaranteed.
29. Brock Wright, TE (Highest ranking: 26, Lowest ranking: 35)
Last year’s ranking: 34 (up 5)
Wright sees a modest jump in the rankings after solidifying himself as the team’s TE2—a pretty significant role in this offense. Wright was averaging over 30 offensive snaps a game last year, so while it wasn’t a “starting” role, it was a big one. His level of play earned him a three-year, $12 million contract this offseason after a flirting with the 49ers resulted in an offer sheet Detroit matched.
28. Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB (Highest ranking: 21, Lowest ranking: 32)
Last year’s ranking: 44 (up 16)
Upon his return to Detroit, Reeves-Maybin had a heck of a 2023 season. Not only did he reassume his role as a core special teamer—leading the Lions in snaps in that phase—but toward the end of the season, he also proved to be a valuable third-down defender. In the final six games of the regular season, Reeves-Maybin produced 20 tackles, 1.0 sack and two passes defended in just a limited role. His 88.6 PFF grade on defense (including playoffs) ranked fourth in the NFL among linebackers with at least 100 defensive snaps.
27. Marcus Davenport, EDGE (Highest ranking: 22, Lowest rankings: 37)
Last year’s ranking: N/A
Davenport was a former first-round pick who is still just 27 years old. He’s three years removed from a 9.0-sack season (in just 11 games), but injuries have slowed his career down considerably. By all accounts, Davenport is expected to be ready by the start of the season after missing most of 2023 with a high ankle sprain. So if he can reach even a percentage of his potential, the Lions could have a serious pass rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
26. Josh Paschal, EDGE (Highest ranking: 23, Lowest ranking: 41)
Last year’s ranking: 35 (up 9)
It’s a bit interesting to see Paschal jump up nine spots after a bit of an underwhelming 2023 season, but it speaks to the optimism surrounding a potential Year 3 jump. Paschal took the majority of first-team reps opposite Hutchinson in the spring, and with injuries limiting his first two seasons, there are reasons to be hopeful in 2024.
25. Kalif Raymond, WR (Highest ranking: 13, Lowest ranking: 34)
Last year’s ranking: 25 (no change)
Miraculously, Kalif Raymond has ranked 25th in our rankings for the third straight year. One of Dan Campbell’s most trusted players, Raymond just continues to perform at whatever role the Lions place him in. He remains the team’s above-average punt returner, and he always seems to carve out a strong role on offense. Despite typically being WR4, Raymond has posted at least 480 receiving yards in three straight seasons in Detroit. Now he has a legitimate chance to be WR3.
24. Amik Robertson, CB (Highest ranking: 21, Lowest ranking: 31)
Last year’s ranking: N/A
When the Lions originally signed Robertson, he looked like a prime candidate to win an outside cornerback role, especially after the release of Cameron Sutton. But Detroit ended up flooding their cornerback room with the additions of Carlton Davis, Ennis Rakestraw, and Terrion Arnold.
Still, Robertson isn’t afraid of competition, and his tenacious playstyle and fearlessness in the run game will likely get him some action on the field, be it as an injury replacement or in the nickel cornerback role.
23. Derrick Barnes, LB (Highest ranking: 21, Lowest ranking: 31)
Last year’s ranking: 37 (up 14)
Unsurprisingly, Barnes got a significant jump this year after proving the 2023 offseason hype was warranted. Barnes worked his way into a starting role last year, and held first-round rookie Jack Campbell to a rotational role for his entire rookie season. Early signs indicate Campbell may take over the starting MIKE role this year, but Barnes has proven enough to be considered—at least—a rotational piece that needs to see the field weekly. Regardless what happens in 2024, Barnes will always be immortalized by his interception that sent Detroit to the NFC Championship game.
22. Jack Fox, P (Highest ranking: 14, Lowest ranking: 30)
Last year’s ranking: 13 (down 9)
For the just the second time since we started doing roster rankings in 2017, the Lions will not have a specialist in our top-20 (2019 was the other year). Fox slides down nine spots in this year’s rankings for no discernable reason other than the roster getting better. Though last year was his lowest in terms of net punting yards (40.9 compared to his career average of 42.3), his punts-inside-the-20 percentage was at a career high (45.6% compared to his 35.6% average). That tells me, simply, his punts are coming from further downfield, which would naturally result in shorter net punting yardage. He’s still clearly one of the best punters in the league.
21. Ifeatu Melifonwu, S (Highest ranking: 18, Lowest ranking: 27)
Last year’s ranking: 48 (up 27)
Melifonwu saw one of the biggest jumps of any Lions players in this list thanks to an incredible end to the 2023 season. After assuming the starting safety role in Week 15, Melifonwu went on a tear. In the final five games of the regular season, Melifonwu produced 3.0 sacks, five QB hits, seven passes defended, two interceptions, and a forced fumble. One of those interceptions clinched Detroit’s first division title in 30 years. In short, Melifonwu was one of the most disruptive defenders in football from December and beyond.
