We graded the entire Lions roster through 5 games, and 2 players have separated themselves from everyone else

Our first cumulative grades of the season have Gibbs and Aidan Hutchinson closest to 50, while some important Lions veterans have a lot of ground to make up after five games.

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Oct 11, 2026; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas

The Detroit Lions have reached the bye week, which means we’re through the first five games of the 2026 season. A few weeks ago, we debuted our brand new grading system called the M.O.O.N. Grades, which measures on-field net impact. Now it’s time to take everything we learned from those first five games, roll it all together, and hand out the first quarterly M.O.O.N. Grades for the Lions.

We’ll do this again in four or five weeks, then again after that, and we’ll finish with end-of-season M.O.O.N. Grades. Every player’s grade can be broken down point by point, and you can click into each game to see exactly what earned or cost him points.

Offense

Lions Offense cumulative M.O.O.N. Grades

2026 season · Measure of On-Field Net-Impact

PlayerPos.GamesGrade
Jahmyr GibbsRB547.4/50
Amon-Ra St. BrownWR542.6/50
Jared GoffQB538.8/50
Sam LaPortaTE538.7/50
Christian MahoganyLG437.6/50
Jameson WilliamsWR537.6/50
Penei SewellLT535/50
Tate RatledgeRG532.2/50
Isaac TeSlaaWR531.1/50
Sione VakiRB528.5/50
Juice ScruggsC528/50
Blake MillerRT426.3/50
Jackson MeeksWR225.3/50
Jacob SaylorsRB125/50
Miles FrazierOL125/50
Skyler Gill-HowardTE125/50
Tay MartinWR125/50
Tom KennedyWR125/50
Tyler ConklinTE325/50
Brock WrightTE523.1/50
S.McLaughlinC123/50
Larry BoromOL522.9/50
Ben BartchLG212/50

Season grade = average of the player’s graded games, out of 50. Games without a grade are excluded. Tap a player to see all points earned and lost throughout the season.

The highest-graded player on the Lions is running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who sits at 47.4 out of 50. He earned 36 points for explosive plays, 76 points for first downs, 54 points for touchdowns, 13.5 points for receptions, and 42 points for carries that went for positive yardage.

So why isn’t he at 50? Gibbs lost six points for a fumble and eight points for carries that went for a loss. He also allowed a couple of sacks and some pressures. In total, he’s earned 221.5 points and lost 26. That’s a great grade.

Quarterback Jared Goff checks in at 38.8 out of 50. He’s playing at the top of his game, so I’d hope this number would be a little higher. The biggest hit came from pressure-to-sack rate, where he lost 13 points. When Goff gets pressured, more often than not, he’s going down.

He only lost five points for turnover-worthy plays, which is a good sign. He also has a few fumbles, and in our system, those count against you even if the defense doesn’t recover.

Goff has gained 132 points and lost 38. With a couple of 300-yard games and one 400-yard game, I think he can push himself into the 40s. Hitting 50 in a single game is hard. Hitting it over a full season is even harder, and a quarterback doing it might be the most impossible thing in this system.

The lowest-graded player overall is offensive lineman Ben Bartch at 12 out of 50, but he’s only played two games. Among players who have appeared in all five, it’s offensive lineman Larry Borom at 22.9.

Borom gained 28 points but lost 46, including 10 for sacks, nine for penalties, and 16 for pressures. He simply didn’t earn enough to make up for that.

Defense

Lions Defense cumulative M.O.O.N. Grades

2026 season · Measure of On-Field Net-Impact

PlayerPos.GamesGrade
Aidan HutchinsonDE542.1/50
Alim McNeillDL537/50
D.J. WonnumDE531.6/50
Skyler Gill-HowardDL530.9/50
Keith Abney IICB230.3/50
Tyleik WilliamsDL529.6/50
Jimmy RolderLB129/50
Chuck ClarkS528.1/50
Christian IzienDB327.7/50
Derrick BarnesLB526.4/50
Tyler LacyDL526.3/50
Khalil DorseyCB126/50
Derrick MooreDE525.5/50
Devin WhiteLB325.5/50
Jalen MillsDB225.3/50
Eric O'NeillDE325.2/50
Trevor NowaskeLB525.2/50
Ben StilleDL125/50
Malcolm RodriguezLB524.6/50
Ennis Rakestraw Jr.CB324/50
Levi OnwuzurikeDL423.8/50
Jack CampbellLB522.4/50
Avonte MaddoxDB221.8/50
Roger McCrearyCB520.7/50
D.J. ReedCB520.4/50
Thomas HarperS219.8/50
Rock Ya-SinCB317/50

Season grade = average of the player’s graded games, out of 50. Games without a grade are excluded. Tap a player to see all points earned and lost throughout the season.

Detroit’s highest-graded defender should shock no one. Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson posted a 42.1 out of 50. He earned 54 points for pressures and 25 points for sacks while losing only a handful of points.

In total, he’s gained 93.5 points and lost four.

You might be wondering how that doesn’t add up to 50. Points are earned through net impact, and you have to keep producing to build it. Hutchinson had three sacks in the first two games and another against Arizona. Four sacks through five games is still good, and because he rarely does anything to lose points, he has a real shot at 50.

Defensive tackle Alim McNeill comes in at 37 out of 50, which is huge for him. He earned 63 points, and the only points he lost were three for missed tackles.

Don’t think of these grades as a pass-or-fail test at 50. If you’re near the top of the list, you’re playing well, and McNeill is playing very well.

Edge rusher D.J. Wonnum is third among Lions defenders at 31.6. He leads the team in sacks. He has gained 48 points and lost 15 because of some missed tackles, an explosive play credited against him, and two completions allowed.

I’d like to see his pressure numbers climb from 10 points, but for a player Detroit is paying so little, he’s delivering impact when it counts.

Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw is technically the lowest-graded defender, but among players who have appeared in all five games, it’s cornerback D.J. Reed at 20.4 out of 50.

Reed has lost 19 points for completions allowed, 25 for explosive plays allowed, 12 for penalties, and six for missed tackles. He’s earned 34 points for tackles and six for pass breakups.

Pass breakups are hard to come by, and cornerbacks might be judged a little harsher here. But this grade is all about impact, positive or negative, and Reed is having a negative impact on the Lions’ defense right now. He looked better against Arizona. He needs to build on that.

Who is on 50-watch?

There’s room for improvement up and down this roster. Two players are on 50-watch: Gibbs and Hutchinson. We’ll see if either of them can get there.

Our weekly M.O.O.N. Grades return after the Green Bay game, and the next quarterly report will follow in a few weeks. Let’s see who moves.

Play A to Z Daily Games

Related Articles