Kerryon Johnson and T.J. Hockenson are impressive young building blocks for the Detroit Lions offense. Their presence helps the Lions rank in the middle of the pack in the latest evaluation of the top players under age 25 on all 32 teams.
Detroit ranks No. 18 on Football Outsiders’ list, published via ESPN. That is down three spots from last season, but the fall is less dramatic than they expected with the loss of Kenny Golladay, Quandre Diggs and Taylor Decker from eligibility (all are over 25 by the start of the 2019 season).
Johnson, Hockenson and center Frank Ragnow earn citation among the Lions offensive players. Ragnow moving back to his natural center position gives this group a higher ceiling.
On defense, Football Outsiders doesn’t see any “blue chip” talents under age 25 but still finds reasons to like Jarrad Davis, Da’Shawn Hand and Tracy Walker, as well as rookies Jahlani Tavai and Will Harris.
The Cleveland Browns top the list, while the Philadelphia Eagles bring up the rear.
