Pro Bowl voting update: Detroit Lions have 6 players voted in top 10 at their position

Nov 29, 2022 - 12:00 PM

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Voting is underway for the 2023 Pro Bowl, and with the first wave of voting in, the Detroit Lions actually have a handful of players who have garnered a lot of votes. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the Lions have six players who are currently in the top 10 in Pro Bowl voting at their position.

Let’s break them down one-by-one.

Frank Ragnow — Currently fourth among centers

Despite dealing with a painful toe injury all season, Ragnow is continuing his quiet dominance at center. He’s currently sporting a 78.1 PFF grade, good for fourth in the NFL. He’s allowed just a single sack all season and his 80.4 run blocking grade ranks fifth.

Aidan Hutchison — Currently sixth among defensive ends

Hutchinson has been a play-making machine for the Lions in his rookie season. The second overall pick may only have 5.5 sacks (t-34th in the NFL), but he leads all NFL defensive linemen with two interceptions. He has a 69.8 PFF grade on the season, which ranks 45th among edge defenders, but that is first among rookies with at least 200 defensive snaps this season. Additionally, in Week 12, he was also the NFC Defensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week.

DeShon Elliott — Currently seventh among strong safeties

Perhaps the biggest surprise on this list, Elliott has brought some stability to the safety position after Detroit struggled initially when Tracy Walker was lost for the season with an Achilles injury. Elliott doesn’t have any gaudy stats—he’s got just two passes defended and an interception—but his physical nature has helped the Lions in the run game and his 73 tackles rank ninth among defensive backs.

Kerby Joseph — Currently eight among free safeties

Another rookie standout who won NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his two-interception performance against the Packers. Joseph ranks t-eighth in the NFL in interceptions (3) and is also t-eighth in forced fumbles (2). His 69.5 PFF rating is third amongst rookie safeties, only behind 14th-overall pick Kyle Hamilton (86.9) and second-round pick Jaquan Brisker (69.9).

Penei Sewell — Currently ninth among offensive tackles

Pro Bowl voting doesn’t distinguish between left and right tackle, so while this ranking may seem disrespectful to the season Sewell is having, it’s worth noting he’s being compared to every other left and right tackle.

Sewell currently ranks 10th in PFF grade (79.6) among all offensive tackles, but ranks fifth among right tackles. While Sewell came into the league a much better run blocker than pass blocker, he’s taken big strides in his sophomore season as a quarterback protector. His PFF “Pass Blocking Efficiency percentage of 96.6 ranks 10th among tackles.

Amon-Ra St. Brown — Currently 10th among wide receivers

The receiver position is among the most competitive in the league, but this still feels a little low for St. Brown. He currently ranks third among receivers in PFF grade (89.8), trailing only Stefon Diggs (90.1) and Tyreek Hill (92.1). St. Brown is a weapon the Lions don’t only use as a receiver, but as an essential blocker in the run game.

Injuries have limited St. Brown’s overall production, but even after missing (essentially) two games this year, the second-year receiver ranks ninth in receptions (65) and 15th in yards (716).

Pro Bowl voting is still ongoing. You can vote for your favorite Lions right here until December 15. Additionally, starting on December 1, you can vote for the Pro Bowl via Twitter by tweeting the first and last name of a player, along with the hashtag #ProBowlVote.

Ultimately, Pro Bowl players will be decided by three sets of voters: fans, players, and coaches—with each accounting for one-third of the influence.