Pride of Detroit
We are finally cracking the top-10 players for the 2026 Detroit Lions season. As a reminder, this list was created by having eight different staff members rank the entire roster from 90 to 1 and averaging out each ballot to create a consensus list.
This year’s top-10 includes nine players who made the same list last year. The one newcomer shot all the way into the top five. But for this article, we’re only tackling the players we ranked 10 through 6, all of whom made last year’s top-10.
Previously:
McNeill drops only a spot after last year’s disappointing but understandable season. Many were eager for McNeill’s return from his ACL injury, and while that first game back provided some serious hope, it was clear Detroit’s star defensive tackle still wasn’t quite himself.
He’s entering 2026 with a determination to prove he is still a top interior defender in this league, but with only a couple of seasons to show for it, there is some understandable skepticism—particularly after that 2024 ACL tear.
LaPorta, too, drops a spot after an injury-hampered 2025 campaign. The outlook is much brighter for LaPorta, however, as he has been fully cleared of his back injury prior to training camp, and there’s no reason to believe he can’t return to form immediately. That said, back injuries very rarely just go away forever, so it’ll be something to monitor.
Still, LaPorta was producing like a top-five tight end, and his blocking also took several strides prior to his injury. If he can put all of that together in 2026, he’ll not only likely climb toward the top-five next year, but there’s likely a contract extension waiting for him, as well.
Continuing the theme of injuries causing a drop in the rankings, Brian Branch falls out of the top-five after tearing his Achilles late last season. Branch is not expected to be ready to start the season, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him miss at least half of the year. That makes him a tough player to rank in this year’s countdown, especially since we have no idea how he’ll look in his first on-field action.
But Branch is still widely respected for his ability to come down and defend the box, his instincts in the passing game, and his hard-hitting mentality. There’s a reason that despite his injury, NFL execs and coaches still have Branch as the No. 4 safety in the NFL.
After taking yet another step, Williams climbs a few...
