With NFL football on Thursday (and Friday), and Detroit Lions action a week away, I think it’s officially fair to call this GAME WEEK!
The 2025 NFL season is basically upon us, and that means it’s time to start making our predictions for the year ahead. Every year, our staff makes our best guesses about the Detroit Lions—from who will be their standout players to where they’ll finish in the division, to our favorite picks to win the Super Bowl.
This year’s predictions start with a toughie. The Lions’ offense finished first in the NFL last year, and despite some moving pieces this offseason, they’re expected to be in the top conversation again in 2025. But who will lead the pack? Who will be the team’s Offensive Player of the Year?
Here are our predictions.
2025 NFL predictions: Detroit Lions Offensive Player of the Year
Max Gerber: Penei Sewell
I know it’s next to impossible to have an offensive lineman win MVP, but I’m pretty sure Penei Sewell, the league’s best offensive tackle, should be crowned with the title. With some new pass rushers in the division this year, Sewell will have his hands full keeping a clean pocket for Jared Goff. His play will decide whether or not the rest of the offense will be successful, so he literally is the most valuable player for Detroit’s offense right now.
Erik Schlitt: Amon-Ra St. Brown
The only wide receiver in the NFL to be named first-team All-Pro in each of the last two seasons, St. Brown has been sensational in training camp and seems poised to take another step in his development. The joint practices with the Dolphins were just a preview of what’s to come for St. Brown in 2025.
Ryan Mathews: Jahmyr Gibbs
Since Jahmy Gibbs could make a real case to be the league’s AP Offensive Player of the Year in 2025, that would likely win him this award, too.
Al Karsten: Jared Goff
Part of me wanted to go glamorous and hand Jahmyr Gibbs the keys to the Lions’ offensive MVP in Year 3—but when you look under the hood, the true engine of the Motor City’s muscle car is Jared Goff.
Goff, who finished fifth in MVP voting last season, enters Year 5 in Detroit still in the middle of a career renaissance. Over the past two seasons, he’s been running as smooth and powerful as any quarterback in football, ranking in the top four in passer rating, success rate, yards per attempt, and touchdown rate. Now, with one of the NFL’s most finely tuned offensive rosters and a new pit crew of offensive architects—John Morton, David Shaw, and others—the Lions will look to keep the motor humming in the wake of Ben Johnson’s departure. It’ll be fascinating to see how the offense evolves, and what new levers Detroit’s offensive brain trusts design for Goff and his growing young core.
Brandon Knapp: Jahmyr Gibbs
It was a toss-up between Jamo and Gibbs for me, but Gibbs, I feel like, will have a breakout year. I say this after he broke out last year, but if he can be used more in the passing game than he has before, his potential is next level. If he can get close to a double 1,000-yard season, phew, it’s going to be exciting.
John Whiticar: Penei Sewell
All you need to do is look at the edge rushers in the NFC North. Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary in Green Bay. Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo in Chicago. Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel in Minnesota. For all of the talented offensive playmakers that Jared Goff has at his disposal, none of it will matter if the pass protection can’t succeed. With Penei Sewell at tackle, you have the best in the business acting as the true engine of the offense.
Morgan Cannon: Jahmyr Gibbs
There are a handful of worthy candidates for this award on the Lions’ offense, but the reigning touchdown king is the obvious choice for me. Gibbs is a legitimate difference-maker for a Detroit offense that once again has championship aspirations. He can turn any carry into a house call, and should be even more of a weapon in the passing game in 2025.
Jeremy Reisman: Jahmyr Gibbs
Running the ball is so fundamental to what the Lions want to do on offense, and this is the year that Jahmyr Gibbs becomes the clear 1A to David Montgomery’s 1B. I expect Gibbs’ workload to increase by about 10-15%, and as we saw toward the end of the last season, he can absolutely handle the extra playing time. Gibbs will be an explosive play machine, and it’s inevitable that he’ll be an even bigger weapon through the air. If opposing defenses don’t have at least two players who can keep up with Gibbs, the Lions running back will take over games.
Now it’s time for you to vote!
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