Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Detroit Lions.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Lions made it to the NFC Championship Final and have finally built a contender after decades of mediocrity.  That being said, this is one of the oldest teams in the NFL, and with their stars being so young, none of them broke into the Top 50.  Nevertheless, we always acknowledge that we took the previous season into account.

As always, we present our top five, which (obviously) saw no changes:

1. Barry Sanders
2. Joe Schmidt
3. Bobby Layne
4. Dutch Clark
5. Lem Barney

You can find the entire list here.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

Few defensive players in NFL history have exploded onto the professional scene with the immediate, game-wrecking impact of Micah Parsons. Selected 12th overall out of Penn State in 2021—where he was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 2019—Parsons was expected to give Dallas a versatile, sideline-to-sideline off-ball linebacker. Instead, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn quickly unleashed his rare, twitchy speed as a full-time pass rusher, revealing a defensive phenomenon capable of single-handedly altering offensive game plans.

Parsons put together one of the most dominant four-year opening acts the league has ever witnessed. Combining ungodly closing burst with rare bend around the edge, he became the ultimate hybrid defender, shifting effortlessly from off-ball coverage to lining up directly over center to dictate protection calls. He captured unanimous NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2021 after logging 13.0 sacks, setting a foundation that saw him finish in the top three of AP Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of his first three seasons.

Between 2021 and 2024, Parsons earned Pro Bowl honors in all four of his seasons in Dallas, becoming just the second player in NFL history alongside Hall of Famer Reggie White to record at least 12.0 sacks in each of his first four professional campaigns. His ability to disrupt pocket mechanics created a ripple effect across the entire Dallas defense, consistently placing the unit among the league's top takeaway-generating groups.

Yet, despite his superstar status, a protracted and increasingly bitter contract standoff with Jerry Jones reached a boiling point in the summer of 2025. Following a formal trade request during training camp, the Cowboys stunned the football world in late August 2025 by trading Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round draft picks—a blockbuster deal that instantly reshaped the NFL landscape.

With Dallas, he amassed 52.5 sacks, 256 combined tackles, 63 tackles for loss, 107 quarterback hits, and nine forced fumbles.

Astoundingly, Parsons still made this star-studded list despite only playing four years in Dallas.  That is how special he was playing in the state of Texas.

Selected in the third round out of Boston College in 2016, Justin Simmons came to Mile High as a versatile defensive back with elite leaping ability and exceptional diagnostic skills. After serving as a core contributor as a rookie, Simmons seized a full-time starting free safety role in 2017 and quickly transformed into the rangy, intellectual quarterback of Denver’s secondary.

Simmons developed into one of the premier ball-hawking free safeties of his era. Possessing deep-third range, smooth transition hips, and sharp route-recognition skills, he routinely erased vertical shot plays while acting as a reliable last line of defense in run support. His breakout national moment arrived in 2019 when he earned his first AP Second-Team All-Pro nod, followed by his first career Pro Bowl selection in 2020.

His consistency over a five-year stretch was remarkable. Simmons secured four AP Second-Team All-Pro selections (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023) and earned two Pro Bowl nods (2020, 2023). In 2022, despite missing five games to injury, he co-led the entire NFL with six interceptions and forced three fumbles. Off the field, his leadership and extensive community involvement earned him three Walter Payton Man of the Year nominations.

After the 2023 season, Denver made the difficult decision to release its long-time defensive captain as part of a salary-cap restructuring. With Denver, Simmons had 30 interceptions, 604 combined tackles, 64 pass deflections, 19 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles.

Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we have existing Top 50 lists and consistently look to update them when necessary and based on necessity. As such, we are delighted to present our post-2023 revision of our top 50 Cleveland Browns.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following:

1.  Advanced Statistics.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Playoff accomplishments.

4.  Their overall impact on the team and other intangibles that are not reflected in a stat sheet.

Last year, the Browns returned to the playoffs but could not get past their first game.  There were no new entries and two elevations in our Top 50.

As always, we present our top five, which saw no changes:

1. Jim Brown
2. Otto Graham
3. Joe Thomas
4. Lou Groza
5. Ozzie Newsome

You can find the entire list here.

Reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett rocketed to #12 from #32.

Left Tackle Joel Bitonio, on a six-year Pro Bowl streak, climbed to #18 from #24. 

Notably, Running Back Nick Chubb remains at #44.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.