Tuesday open thread: Who is the Detroit Lions best player?

Around this time of year, we kick off our yearly roster rankings for the Detroit Lions. A group of our staff ranks the entire roster from one to 90 to get an overall sense of how talented the roster is and compare it to the previous year.

Ever since we’ve been doing that list, there has been a near-unanimous No. 1 every single year: quarterback Matthew Stafford. But with Stafford now in the City of Angels and other talented players like Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr. and Matt Prater playing elsewhere, the top of this list is no longer a gimme.

That isn’t to say the Lions roster is completely bereft of talent. Detroit had a couple of Pro Bowlers last year, and added a few in free agency. But the top of our lists are certainly going to look a lot different than they have in the past.

So that brings us to today’s Question of the Day, and it’s a simple one.

Who is the Detroit Lions best player right now?

My answer: It’s not the most glamorous of positions, but I think the answer has to be center Frank Ragnow.

At this point in his career, Ragnow is just 25 years old, but he has already established himself as a top-five center in this league. Last year—just his third in the NFL—he earned himself a Pro Bowl appearance and was named second-team All Pro.

It’s fair to say that outside of maybe punter Jack Fox, there is no Detroit Lion who is better at their respective position. And while center isn’t necessarily the most game-changing position, it is certainly important along the offensive line. Center not only anchors the center of the line—blocking the straightest route to the quarterback—but they also frequently call out protection changes based on what they see on defense.

There’s a reason the Lions just committed an extra four years and $54 million Ragnow. He is simply the best player on the team right now.

Your turn.