The 2023 Lions’ team has strength in the trenches. Detroit has unmatched young talent along the offensive line and emerging studs on defense, leaving them with less pressure to have elite talent at the skill positions.

The thing is… their skill players are great too. See what ratio of offensive and defensive players make this Betway insider top 10 list of the best Lions in 2023/2024.

As usual, all stats are courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

 Ranking the Top 10 Detroit Lions Players from 2023-24 NFL Season to consider for bettingBrian Branch

Position: Safety
2023 stats: 15 games, 3 INT, 13 PD, 74 tackles
Career stats: 15 games, 3 INT, 13 PD, 74 tackles

Our list begins with one of a handful of 2023 Lions rookies to make this list: S Brian Branch. The second-round pick was an All-American at Alabama and was ready-made for the NFL, slotting seamlessly into the Detroit secondary.

Branch started off with a bang: he recorded an interception for a touchdown in his Lions debut off of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. He was PFF’s eighth-highest-rated defensive rookie through the halfway point of the 2023 season.  

Branch should soon emerge as one of the best players on the Detroit Lions and as a fixture in the Lions’ starting lineup (he started almost every game in 2023).

  1. Kerby Joseph

Position: Safety
2023 stats: 15 games, 4 INT, 11 PD, 81 tackles
Career stats: 32 games, 8 INT, 19 PD, 163 tackles

Kerby Joseph partners Brian Branch in the Lions' secondary to form a young, dynamic safety core that will hopefully remain in the motor city for years to come. Joseph was an immediate starter after the Lions made him a third-round pick in 2022 and was named to the Athletic’s First-team All-Rookie squad.

Joseph has a knack for nabbing key interceptions against famous quarterbacks; for example, he intercepted Aaron Rodgers three times in 2022. He had eight interceptions in his first two seasons and looks to continue the franchise’s long tradition of outstanding ball-hawks.

  1. Jahmyr Gibbs

Position: Running Backs
2023 stats: 15 games, 945 rush yards, 1 5.2 yards/carry, 10 rush TDs, 53 receptions, 316 receiving yards, 1 rec TD
Career stats: 15 games, 945 rush yards, 1 5.2 yards/carry, 10 rush TDs, 53 receptions, 316 receiving yards, 1 rec TD

We’re giving the nod to rookie RB Jahmyr Gibbs over veteran RB David Montgomery for the list. While Montgomery had the best season of his career and led the Lions in rushing yards, he wasn’t quite as dynamic as Gibbs.

Gibbs averaged a superior 5.2 yards/carry despite getting less work -- the team vowed not to overuse the back in year one. He totaled 1261 scrimmage yards and 11 scores in the regular season before shining even further in the playoffs. In the Lions' first two playoff wins over the Rams and the Buccaneers, Gibbs totaled 182 yards and two scores.

Gibbs is going to be one of the NFL’s best running backs shortly. Thus, if you want a good Lions’ player prop, take the over on Gibbs rushing yards in 2024.

  1. Alim McNeill

Position: Defensive Tackle
2023 stats: 13 games, 5.0 sacks, 32 tackles, 6 TFL
Career stats: 47 games, 8.0 sacks, 112 tackles, 15 TFL

Lions DT Alim McNeill was the team’s defensive breakout sensation of the 2023 regular season. The 2021 third-round pick started out his career as a rotational defensive lineman and gap filler -- this year, he was second on the team in sacks.

McNeill put up an astonishingly great 88.6 PFF grade in 2023, higher than the likes of Chris Jones and Justin Madubuike for one of the best figures in the entire NFL.

  1. Sam Laporta

Position: Tight End
2023 stats:  17 games, 86 receptions, 886 yards, 10 TDs
Career stats: 17 games, 86 receptions, 886 yards, 10 TDs

Lions TE Sam Laporta had one of the best rookie receiving seasons of all time, regardless of position. Not only did he have the most receptions by a rookie tight end in NFL history, he had the 12th most regardless of position.

Laporta was awarded for his stellar season with a Pro Bowl nod and a spot in the Second-team All-Pro squad. He’s already one of the best tight ends in the NFL and is already QB Jared Goff’s second-favorite target.

  1. Frank Ragnow

Position: Center
2023 stats: 15 games
Career stats: 80 games

Lions C Frank Ragnow has been one of the best in the NFL at his position since the Lions made him a first-round pick back in 2018. He earned his second Second-team All-Pro berth in 2023 to go along with his third Pro Bowl spot.

Ragnow’s contract in Detroit is coming up: the team signed him to a four-year, $45 extension ahead of the 2021 season. Look for him to be amongst the highest-paid centers in NFL history in the near future.

  1. Aidan Hutchinson

Position: Defensive End
2023 stats: 17 games. 11.5 sacks, 51 tackles, 14 TFL, 3 FF
Career stats: 34 games, 21.0 sacks, 103 tackles, 23 TFL, 3 FF

Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson is a culture-defining defensive player. What do we mean by that? Hutchinson, the #2 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of nearby Michigan, was a lifelong Lions fan and has assumed the mantle as the face of the Detroit season.

Hutchinson’s play dramatically improved as the season went on and he tallied 3.0 sacks in the Lions’ playoff victories over the Rams and Buccaneers. He led the team with 11.5 sacks and will look to emerge as an NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate in 2024.

  1. Jared Goff

Position: Quarterback
2023 stats: 12-5 record, 67.3%, 4575 yards, 30-12 TD-INT,
Career stats: 66-50-1 record, 64.7% comp, 30429 yards, 185-92 TD-INT

Lions QB Jared Goff has gotten better every season he’s been in Detroit:

            2021: 3-10-1, 3245 yards, 19-8 TD-INT

            2022: 9-8, 4438 yards, 29-7 TD-INT

            2023: 12-5, 4575 yards, 30-12 TD-INT

The 2022 Pro Bowler was snubbed to the 2023 squad but probably won’t mind: he has the Lions in the NFC Championship Game for the first time in over 20 years. Goff is the Lions’ most important player and determines how far they will go in the playoffs for the immediate future.

  1. Penai Sewell

Position: Offensive Tackle
2023 stats: 17 games
Career stats: 50 games

Lions OT Penai Sewell almost never ended up in Detroit -- the Cincinnati Bengals were heavily interested in drafting him. Cincy selected WR Ja’Marr Chase and Sewell ended up in Detroit in a move that worked out for everyone.

Sewell is fresh off his second-straight Pro Bowl campaign and his maiden First-team All-Pro season. He’s already amongst the best at his position in the league at just 23 years old and is the key man in arguably the best offensive line in the league.

  1. Amon-Ra St. Brown

Position: Wide Receiver
2023 stats: 16 games, 119 receptions, 1515 yards, 10 touchdowns
Career stats: 49 games, 315 receptions, 3588 yards, 21 touchdowns

Why is Detroit WR Amon-Ra St. Brown the best player on the 2023 Lions? He:

St. Brown is only 24 years old and will be the go-to-guy in the Lions offense for a generation. Lions fans have high hopes for him.

Want a good Lions prop bet? Keep betting the over on St. Brown receptions.

Parameters of Rankings

Rankings are made based on a combination of 1) 2023 success, 2) past pedigree, 3) positional value, and 4) impact on team culture.

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