Aidan Hutchinson talks about how his leg has felt in practice
Aidan Hutchinson talks about a recent play in Lions practice that gave him confidence his leg is recovered from last season’s injury, Aug. 21, 2025.
The NFL is releasing its list of top 100 players in the league as voted on by players, and seven Detroit Lions are currently featured on the list.
With All-Pro offensive tackle Penei Sewell coming in at No. 13, it’s likely no more Lions will pop up before the top 10 players are revealed Sept. 1. And though the Lions feature many of their top players on the main list, there is one player who seems to be underrated: edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who came in at No. 55.
This is Hutchinson’s third year on the NFL list after debuting at No. 88 ahead of the 2023 season. However, Hutchinson was ranked at No. 47 in 2024, which means he dropped eight spots, about the same as the number of sacks he recorded in just five games in the 2024 season.
Hutchinson led the Lions in sacks with 7½ in 2024 despite missing most of the season with a leg injury suffered against the Cowboys on Oct. 13. He is coming into the 2025 season healthy, however, and looks to support a Lions defense that was decimated by injuries late in the 2024 season.
Many experts consider the fourth-year edge rusher the best defensive player on a Super Bowl-caliber Lions team, but he lands in the middle among the seven Lions listed in the top 100. Here are those players in descending order:
Detroit Lions on NFL Top 100 Players list
*Indicates first time on list
Though the NFL will release its top 10 players on Sept. 1, no other Lion is expected to make the ranking.
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Gibbs had the biggest jump of any Lions player, going from unranked on the 2024 list to No. 27 in 2025.
The player with the biggest drop-off is LaPorta, who dipped 14 spots from No. 80 in 2024.
Goff also experienced a big rise, going from No. 66 in 2023 to No. 48 in 2024 to No. 15 in 2025. He’s entering his 10th season in the league and fifth with the Lions.
The Lions had five players on the 2024 list, with Joseph and Gibbs joining the 2025 ranking.
No Lions players from 2024’s ranks were left off in 2025, with Sewell also the highest-ranked Lion on the 2024 list (No. 22).
You can reach Christian at cromo@freepress.com.