Pre-season forecasts and rankings should be taken with a grain of salt, as no one can truly predict the future. A player might appear to be the best at his position in May but fade once the games begin. The Detroit Lions have seen this happen firsthand.
Still, it’s exciting when one of your players earns recognition on a top-tier list before the season starts. In a May 21 article for PFF, Trevor Sikkema outlines the league’s top wide receivers, and although two Lions are mentioned, neither cracked the first tier.
Wide receivers are often undervalued in the NFL. “The wide receiver position continues to be among the most influential and scheme-defining in today’s game,” Sikkema notes. “From shifty slot targets to dominant perimeter threats, the elite bring distinct talents that force defenses to adjust and uplift their quarterbacks.”
Sikkema’s rankings of the top wideouts for 2025 are based on “a blend of advanced metrics, tape breakdown, and scheme context to spotlight the best 32 receivers entering the 2025 NFL season.”
“Brown consistently beats defenders, especially in man coverage,” wrote Sikkema. “He posted the top receiving grade versus man coverage in 2024 (96.6), and he’s led that category for the past three years (2022–24) with a 97.0 grade. He’s a matchup nightmare for any defense.”
Detroit’s own Amon-Ra St. Brown landed at No. 4 overall, placing him in the second tier. While it seems he deserved a first-tier spot, Sikkema had high praise for him nonetheless.
“No wideout has generated more WAR (1.70) or a better single-season WAR average since 2022 (0.56) than St. Brown,” Sikkema says. “His lower average target depth hints at a scheme-based role, but he’s still the cornerstone piece of Detroit’s offense.”
In a May 22 story for Bleacher Report, Alex Ballentine listed every team’s current roster gaps and trade options ahead of the new campaign.
As for the Lions, he highlighted the clear need for another edge rush Amon-Ra St. Bron Aidan Hutchinson.
“On defense, they’re likely one dependable edge rusher away from being whole,” Ballentine explains. “With Hutchinson coming off injury, it’s tough to say the group is solid right now.”
He also labeled Jameson Williams as Detroit’s top trade chip. And his outlook on the Lions carries a bit of warning.
“Dan Campbell is entering a test he hasn’t faced yet as head coach,” Ballentine says. “When great coaching staffs lose key members, it takes a toll—and this offseason he lost both OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn.”
