By Moses Joshua 
Detroit’s future didn’t just show flashes in 2025 — it etched its name into the league’s most exclusive honors list.
The Detroit Lions’ season may have ended without a playoff berth, but the league’s voters made something unmistakably clear: the foundation in Detroit is elite. Four Lions earned AP All-Pro recognition, including two first-time selections who now stand at the center of the franchise’s next chapter.
The Cornerstone Up Front: Penei Sewell’s Dominance Continues
At just 25 years old, Penei Sewell has become the gold standard for offensive linemen.
The Lions’ right tackle was named to the AP All-Pro First Team for the third straight season — a staggering accomplishment for someone still in the early prime of his career. According to Pro Football Focus, Sewell wasn’t merely the best tackle in football this year — he was the highest-graded offensive lineman, period.
Across 601 pass-blocking snaps, Sewell surrendered just two sacks and 19 pressures, earning PFF’s “Protector of the Year” award in the process.
For a Detroit team searching for answers across the offensive line, Sewell is the answer. He is the franchise pillar, the blue-chip building block every rebuild needs.
Jack Campbell’s Breakout: A Linebacker Joins Rare Company
The most emotional moment of the Lions’ All-Pro haul belongs to Jack Campbell.
The third-year linebacker didn’t just make the Pro Bowl for the first time — he earned First-Team All-Pro, joining only Chris Spielman and Joe Schmidt as the only Lions linebackers in franchise history to ever reach that level.
Campbell’s season was nothing short of relentless:
- 176 tackles (second-most in the NFL)
- 5 sacks
- 3 forced fumbles
- 2 fumble recoveries
- 9 tackles for loss
- Played every game for the third straight season
- Logged more snaps than any Lion on offense, defense, or special teams
And he did it while taking over green-dot responsibilities for the first time.
Lions coach Dan Campbell put it best:
“He’s extremely valuable. He’s taken more reps than anybody on this team. He plays on kickoff for us, and he’s an asset on kickoff and then everything you see on defense. He doesn’t come off the field; he’s our bell-cow, green-dot.
“So, he’s invaluable.”
Still Elite: Amon-Ra St. Brown Refuses to Regress
Amon-Ra St. Brown didn’t repeat as a first-team All-Pro this year, but his spot on the second team hardly reflects any drop-off.
The star wideout finished 2025:
- 117 receptions (5th in NFL)
- 1,401 receiving yards (5th)
- 11 touchdowns (tied for 2nd)
- 570 yards after the catch (7th)
He also became the first player in league history with at least 90 catches in each of his first five seasons, while recording four straight 1,000-yard campaigns and three consecutive seasons with double-digit touchdowns.
In a down year offensively for Detroit, St. Brown remained the engine.
Hutchinson Is Back — And Louder Than Ever
Returning from a season-ending leg injury didn’t slow Aidan Hutchinson down.
The Lions’ franchise pass rusher earned his first AP All-Pro nod, landing on the second team after producing the most disruptive season of his career:
- 14.5 sacks
- 35 quarterback hits
- 100 total pressures — most in the NFL
Only six players in PFF history have hit the 100-pressure mark. Hutchinson is the only one to do it twice.
Dan Campbell summed up his impact with trademark passion:
“He is a complete football player; he does it all. And he’s disruptive, he’s violent, he’s high motor, he’s crafty, he’s explosive, he’s tough, he’s competitive. And he does it all. He does it all.”
What It All Means for Detroit
Four All-Pros. Two first-timers. A tackle who’s rewriting positional dominance. A linebacker now etched in franchise history. A receiver still among the league’s elite. A pass rusher redefining disruption.
Detroit didn’t just collect individual honors this season — it quietly announced its next core.
The rebuild isn’t coming.
It’s already here.