There’s been a lot of focus this offseason on the changes for the Detroit Lions on the offensive side of the ball. But it seems many are sleeping on the team’s defense.
Last year, when healthy, the Lions defense was one of the best in the league. This year, Detroit will still need a couple months to get all of their biggest contributors back, but they start the season in a much better spot than where it ended. Aidan Hutchinson is back. Marcus Davenport is back. The best safety duo in the league is healthy, and a few young players are primed for breakout years.
So in the next installment of our 2025 NFL season preview series, our staff made their picks for Defensive Player of the Year.
Previous season predictions:
2025 Lions Defensive Player of the Year predictions
Al Karsten: Aidan Hutchinson
The Lions have fortified their defense with blue-chip players at every level of the field, with plenty of young talent ready for career seasons, but the no-brainer answer is Aidan Hutchinson.
Through five games last season, Hutchinson was on pace to shatter the NFL sack record and lock up Defensive Player of the Year. His preposterous 38.3% pass rush win rate and nine quarterback pressures per game were unmatched across the league, and his destructive presence completely changed the geometry of the defense. His disruption allowed the other ten players to thrive, and now, with Hutchinson healthy and dominating in Training Camp, he looks ready to finish what he started and stake his claim as the NFL’s most valuable defensive player.
Jeremy Reisman: Aidan Hutchinson
Everyone is worried about who will help out Hutchinson from the opposite edge, but they’ve failed to notice the other investments that should benefit him. The Lions have upgraded the interior over the past two years (DJ Reader, Tyleik Williams, Roy Lopez… and don’t forget Alim McNeill). And now that Detroit’s secondary is among the league’s best, Hutchinson should have more time than ever to get to the quarterback. Hutchinson + time = chaos.
Brandon Knapp: Aidan Hutchinson
Aidan Hutchinson – Out of the dozens and dozens of players that were out last year due to injuries, the biggest one was Hutchinson. His impact on the field was sorely missed as the Lions did everything to try and recreate what they had without him. He is back on the field, and ruining training camp with how successful he is, which I don’t recall being the case ever. He was always good and would get limited in reps, but never to the point where they had to adjust the practice because of how he was doing. Easily the DPOTY and Comeback Player of the Year as well.
John Whiticar: Aidan Hutchinson
If Hutchinson plays half as well as he did in 2024, the Lions will be in a good spot. If he matches or exceeds that pace over a full season, we are talking about a Defensive Player of the Year. The Lions have plenty of important contributors on defense, but Hutchinson is simply otherworldly.
Max Gerber: Kerby Joseph
I feel like Aidan Hutchinson should be the answer here, but I’ll give it to the former league-leader in interceptions, Kerby Joseph. Ballhawk safeties need more appreciation, as Joseph has sealed many wins for Detroit over the years. I’m intrigued to see how he’ll function under a new defensive coordinator.
Erik Schlitt: Aidan Hutchinson
If you had questions about Hutchinson’s ability to come back from the broken leg, those concerns should be washed away after he had one of the most dominating training camps I’ve seen. Not only do I think he’ll be the Lions’ defensive MVP, but I think he’ll be in contention for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
Ryan Mathews: Brian Branch
Through all this chalk sits Brian Branch, the player who will be Detroit’s defensive MVP in 2025. He was arguably the driving force that helped keep Detroit’s defense unpredictable with multiple looks in 2024. With more talent around him in 2025, it’s an opportunity for new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard to tap further into Branch’s coverage instincts.
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