Being athletic as a team can be difficult to quantify. There are a number of factors that make up the broad athleticism of players and teams.
The Relative Atheltic Score, or RAS for short, measures the athletic performance of players based on comparisons to other players at the position. Crested by Kent Platte, it makes adjustments for the height and weight of the players at those positions as well. It’s a good tool to compare relative athleticism.
Being athletic doesn’t necessarily equate to being good at playing football, of course. But it does represent high-end upside and base level of performance.
Here’s how the Detroit Lions rank among the 32 teams in total average RAS.
32. Los Angeles Rams: 6.66
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
31. Las Vegas Raiders: 6.91
Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
30. Cincinnati Bengals: 6.94
Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
29. Buffalo Bills: 7.04
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
28. Seattle Seahawks: 7.05
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
27. Tennessee Titans: 7.07
Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
26. Houston Texans: 7.11
Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
25. New England Patriots: 7.12
Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
24. Carolina Panthers: 7.19
Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
23. San Francisco 49ers: 7.23
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
22. Miami Dolphins: 7.24
Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
21. Arizona Cardinals: 7.25
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
20. Washington Commanders: 7.26
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
19. Baltimore Ravens: 7.29
Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
18. Minnesota Vikings: 7.3
Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
17. Los Angeles Chargers: 7.37
Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
16. Chicago Bears: 7.39
Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7.449
Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
14. Denver Broncos: 7.45
Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
13. Kansas City Chiefs: 7.497
Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
12. Detroit Lions: 7.5
Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
11. Dallas Cowboys: 7.52
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
10. Atlanta Falcons: 7.53
Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
9. Cleveland Browns: 7.57
Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
8. Pittsburgh Steelers: 7.63
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
7. Green Bay Packers: 7.69
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
6. New Orleans Saints: 7.72
Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
5. New York Giants: 7.75
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
4. Jacksonville Jaguars: 7.8
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
3. New York Jets: 7.88
Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
2. Philadelphia Eagles: 8.00
Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
1. Indianapolis Colts: 8.39
Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports