Several Detroit Lions rank top 10 in PFF grades, including QB1 Jared Goff

The evidence that this Detroit Lions team is legit is overwhelming. They’re the No. 3 team by DVOA standings. Their offense and defense are both ranked in the top 10 by expected points added. And while there are a lot of people that have issues with PFF’s grading system, they, too, seem to highlight this Lions team as special. Detroit nearly has a player at every position ranked in the top-10 among their NFL counterparts.

It starts with quarterback Jared Goff, who after a near-perfect game against the Carolina Panthers, now finds himself the highest-graded quarterback in the league with a 90.6 overall grade. He’s trailed closely by Lamar Jackson (89.3), Josh Allen (89.0), and Patrick Mahomes (85.7). Pretty nice company right there.

That 90.6 grade is by far Goff’s best output in his career. The closest he has ever come is an 84.3 grade in his 2018 Pro Bowl season—the year Goff went to the Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams.

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Goff’s accuracy this year has been off-the-charts good. Per PFF, his adjusted completion percentage (considering on-target throws as completions) is 82.9%, best in the NFL. He’s also been excellent at what PFF calls “Big Time Throws,” or “a pass with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window.” Goff has a total of nine Big Time Throws (tied for sixth) and a Big Time Throw percentage of 5.5 (t-seventh).

Here’s a look at other Lions players who rank in the top 10 of their respective positions:

Running back

No Lions in the top 10, but David Montgomery isn’t far behind at 14th (73.1 PFF grade). It’s worth noting he ranks third in forced missed tackles (21).

Wide receivers

Again, no Lions in the top 10, but they have three in the top 20.

• Josh Reynolds: 12th (83.0)
• Amon-Ra St. Brown: 13th (82.5)
• Kalif Raymond: 18th (79.5)

Tight ends

• Sam LaPorta: Fourth (78.1)

Offensive tackles

• Penei Sewell: Sixth (79.9)

Guards

• Graham Glasgow: Second (83.3)
• Halapoulivaati Vaitai: Fourth (78.6)

Centers

• Frank Ragnow: Second (84.8)

Defensive tackles

• Alim McNeill: Seventh (87.3)

Edge defenders

• Aidan Hutchinson: Fifth (91.4)

Linebackers

No Lions are currently in the top 10, but Alex Anzalone is 20th with a 72.1 grade. That’s by far the highest grade of his career.

Cornerbacks

• Brian Branch: Tied-ninth (79.7)

Safeties

No Lions are in the top 10, but Detroit has four in the top 35:

• Ifeatu Melifonwu: 15th (75.2)
• Kerby Joseph: 23rd (72.0)
• C.J. Gardner-Johnson: 26th (70.7)
• Tracy Walker: 34th (68.8)