Skip to main content

It's a bye week for the Detroit Lions, but the football discussion never ends. Let's have some fun and rank which five players have been the five best performers on the team to date.

5. RB Kerryon Johnson

Recency bias wants me to put Johnson higher on this list. He had 125 yards on the ground last week, and has been making defenders miss all year.

However, you have to consider his struggles as well. A measly 3.4 yards per carry, as the team’s newly appointed bellcow, is not great by any means.

The low average is not all his fault, but the fumble at the goal line against the Chiefs was completely on him.

4. C Frank Ragnow

It sure looks like Ragnow’s move back to his natural position of center is paying off.

He has yet to allow a sack this year, but his blocking in the run game has been his strength.

The second-year pro is moving people in the middle. Ragnow is PFF's top graded run-blocking center, and sits at the No. 2 overall spot among all centers.

3. QB Matthew Stafford

Stafford is the most important player on the Lions’ team.

In saying that, he hasn't been the best player if all positions were created equal. However, he's close.

He currently has a 102.6 passer rating, 1,122 yards and nine touchdowns to his name.

He has been able to keep the Lions in every game, and has thrown some very impressive balls in crunch time.

2. CB Justin Coleman

After just a quarter of the season played, Coleman's big offseason contract looks totally worth it.

He mans the difficult slot corner role, a spot the Lions have historically struggled with. And he has been a playmaker on the inside.

He is currently tied for the most passes defensed in the NFL, and is PFF's top graded corner (min. 200 snaps).

1. WR Kenny Golladay

Golladay has four touchdowns in four games -- tied for most in the league through Week 4.

He is also developing into Stafford's go-to guy, as he’s had 26.7 percent of Stafford’s throws go his way. That's the ninth-highest percentage in the league.

When the Lions have needed a big-time play on offense, Golladay has produced. Due to that, Golladay gets the top spot in this week’s player rankings.