Notes: 2 Detroit Lions rookies land on PFF’s preseason standout list

While there hasn’t been a ton of great things to say about the Detroit Lions’ preseason performance thus far, the one optimistic takeaway is that general manager Bob Quinn’s 2018 draft picks have all played fairly well, with little exceptions. From first-round pick Frank Ragnow to fifth-round pick Tyrell Crosby, each have at least shown a glimpse of why the Lions made their choices last April.

Pro Football Focus added more hype to the Lions’ rookie class this week. They noted the top-10 rookie performances in the preseason thus far, both on offense and defense. Two Lions players made the list, and they’re exactly who you think they are.

Ragnow and second-round pick Kerryon Johnson came in at ninth and eighth respectively.

“While some of the other linemen on this list have been handling backups, Ragnow has been holding his own running with the Lions’ first team,” PFF wrote. “He’s already had 37 pass-blocking snaps without allowing a single pressure.”

As for Johnson, PFF points to his yards after contact as a positive sign for the rookie running back. Per the site, 42 of Johnson’s 50 rushing yards have come after first contact.

Check out PFF’s entire lists here.

• Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms has a long history of being a Matthew Stafford supporter, and that certainly hasn’t changed this year.

• The Athletic has a really interesting look at the uphill battle guys like Marcus Cromartie and Sterling Moore are facing and what it’s like to join an NFL team this late in training camp. (subscription required)

• Former Lions quarterback Dan Orlovsky now has a regular gig on ESPN covering college football. Hopefully they learn to spell his name by his first appearance:

• If Wednesday’s piece from Deadspin on Why the Detroit Lions Suck wasn’t enough, there’s a Lions roast happening on Reddit Thursday filled will all of the jokes you’d expect to see.

• This shirt from LeGarrette Blount is tempting:

• After discussing how the rule has played out in two preseason weeks, the NFL has decided that they are making no changes to the new helmet contact rule, but are re-emphasizing that incidental contract with the facemask or helmet is not considered a foul.