By admin 
The Detroit Lions open the regular season Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
With the season opener quickly approaching, here are Lions OnSI’s predictions for which players will lead the team in a number of statistical categories.
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Passing: Jared Goff
Yards: 4,531
Touchdowns: 36
Goff has been one of the NFL’s most durable quarterbacks since coming to Detroit, as he’s missed three total starts over the last five seasons. As long as he stays healthy, he has the weapons around him to have another big year.
Goff has three straight seasons of over 4,500 yards passing, and with talents like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs around him, it’s expected that he could hit that mark again with good injury luck.
Rushing: Jahmyr Gibbs
Yards: 1,347
Touchdowns: 14
Gibbs will be the lead back in Detroit’s backfield for the first time in his career. After three years playing in a platoon system with David Mongomery, the Lions committed to him with a contract extension and a trade of Montgomery to the Houston Texans.
With this increased workload, Gibbs will have an opportunity to be in the mix to lead the league in rushing. However, he could take more hits this year if pushed too far, and as a result the Lions would like to develop a second option.
I’m predicting a solid year for Gibbs, but the total isn’t as high as some expect because I believe they could look to utilize him more as a receiver.
Receiving: Amon-Ra St. Brown
Yards: 1,276
Touchdowns: 11
The Lions have multiple intriguing options who could lead them in receiving, but I believe St. Brown will be the guy once again in 2026. He has four straight seasons with over 1,000 yards, and with exceptional route-running and hands, he has elite levels of consistency.
Jameson Williams will threaten St. Brown’s status at the top with his big-play ability, but won’t have the consistency that St. Brown offers on a game-to-game basis. Both players finish with double-digit touchdowns, and Sam LaPorta will be right in that mix, but St. Brown leads the team in receiving.
Tackling: Jack Campbell
Tackles: 162
Campbell’s development from solid player to leader of the defense was a welcome one in 2025, as he earned All-Pro status last year. With Alex Anzalone out of the fold after departing in free agency, Campbell is being looked to as a defensive captain.
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Campbell had a career-best 176 combined tackles last year. While that number is certainly attainable, I’m projecting a slight drop off due to the team being more apt to get after the opposing quarterback. Ultimately, Campbell finishes with a solid season.
Sacks: Aidan Hutchinson
Sacks: 15.5
The Lions got a career year out of Hutchinson in his fourth season last year, as he notched 14.5 sacks. This upcoming season, I’m projecting another big year from one of the game’s best pass-rushers.
Hutchinson has help on the opposite side, with players like D.J. Wonnum and Derrick Moore poised to add some thump to their pass-rush. It could be another exceptional campaign for Hutchinson, who aside from a leg injury in 2024 has been playing at an elite level for the past two years.
Interceptions: D.J. Reed
Interceptions: 4
Detroit’s interception leader over the past four seasons is Kerby Joseph, who could return at some point this season as he’s currently on the PUP list. As a result, opportunities for takeaways will be available for players across Detroit’s secondary.
Reed had two interceptions in 11 games last year, with a hamstring injury limiting him the second half of the season. He had a strong camp, and likely will be counted on to be a significant option for takeaways in the back half of Detroit’s defense.
Today’s best reads
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- What Lions Final Roster Says About the Front Office’s Vision
- Detroit Lions 2026 Team Captains Revealed
- Detroit Lions 2026 Updated Offensive Depth Chart After Roster Cuts
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi as Projecting Detroit Lions 2026 Statistical Leaders.
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This story was originally published September 9, 2026 at 6:00 AM.