It’s understandable why the Detroit Lions offence is among the best in the league. Superstar talent abounds on this squad at every offensive position, making the next Pride of Detroit Award the most difficult to choose.
Now that we’ve reached the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year, there are a minimum of seven deserving candidates.
So let’s get started straight away. The 2023 Offensive Player of the Year nominations from our staff are listed below. The real winner will be decided by your votes in the poll located at the bottom of this article.
Past honours (voting is still open):
Outstanding Performer of the Year: Special Teams Game of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Player of the Year
2023 Detroit Lions Offensive Player of the Year
Ryan Mathews: Amon-Ra St. Brown
In his third NFL season, St. Brown not only produced his best-ever statistical performance, but he also formally established himself as one of the top five wide receivers in the league. Among receivers with at least 80 targets, St. Brown completed 2023 with 1,515 receiving yards (3rd), 10 touchdowns (4th), 5.7 yards after catch per reception (t-9th), and 2.63 yards per route run (t-6th). When it comes to his next paycheck, he won’t be struggling financially.
Morgan Cannon: Amon-Ra St. Brown
The Sun God is in just his third season in the NFL, and already he’s setting new standards. His first All-Pro selection came in 2023 when he amassed over 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns; some of the receiver’s best games occurred during some of the Lions’ most significant moments.
St. Brown has repeatedly shown that no situation is too big for him, whether it is hauling a couple defenders past the first-down marker on third-and-long in a playoff game or collecting the game-winning touchdown to secure a victory.
Hamza Baccouche: Frank Ragnow
Ragnow is the cornerstone of this offence, despite the allure of giving it to Penei Sewell or a skill position. Both guard positions saw multiple injuries for the Lions, and having a player of Ragnow’s physical and mental calibre helps fill in those holes. The Lions missed him when he wasn’t there, and in times of need, he overcame hardship and injury to perform admirably for this club.
Erik Schlitt: Jared Goff
Statistically, this was one of Goff’s best of his career, but he showed a maturity to his game that was previously lacking and was cool as ice when the heat was dialed up. In the Lions’ biggest games of the season Week 1 at Chiefs, Week 16 at Vikings for NFC North, and all three playoff games, Goff threw for six touchdowns and zero interceptions. He was simply masterful when it mattered most.
Meko Scott: Amon-Ra St. Brown
Amon-Ra St. Brown’s status as one of the top five wide receivers in the NFL was hotly contested throughout the season. Now that he has again posted top-five stats, been named an All-Pro, and eventually made it into the Pro Bowl, that discussion may be concluded. The Sun God receives my nomination this year because he is one of this offense’s most reliable and clutch players. He was almost never stopped by a player lining up opposite him.
Jeremy Reisman: Penei Sewell
Penei Sewell is the top right tackle in football—possibly the best offensive lineman in the Football League—and should be awarded Offensive Player of the Year, in my opinion. Sewell was one of four offensive tackles to allow as few as one sack throughout the whole season, including the playoffs (and he played two more games than the other three). He also achieved the highest run blocking grade of any tackle (95.1) according to PFF. The next closest tackle, Rob Ravenstein (85.6), was over ten full points behind Trent Williams (92.5). When I state that Penei Sewell has a case to be among the best ten players in the whole NFL, I’m not kidding.
Brandon Knapp: Amon-Ra St. Brown
Jared Goff was serious when he said that St. Brown had a fantastic season. In addition to achieving career-high stats, he advanced in the NFL leaderboards within the top-five wide receiver discussion that we adore having at POD. He made absurd catches, and the plays in which he had to turn back and battle for the first down markers after falling short by a few yards demonstrate the core values of this team. Every inch, at every position, they will fight and claw their way to the top.
John Whiticar: Amon-Ra St. Brown
Penei Sewell, Jared Goff, and Amon-Ra St. Brown were my top picks, but St. Brown has the upper hand. Without the All-Pro receiver, the passing attack of the Lions is nothing. He gives the offence a vital component, and I firmly think that Goff’s recent comeback would not have been possible without him. He’s shot himself into the debate for the league’s best receiver in just his third season.
