After the Detroit Lions improved their record in each of the past two seasons and made a trip all the way to the NFC Championship Game in 2023, Dan Campbell has asserted himself as one of the better head coaches in the NFL.
But exactly how high should he be in head coach rankings? Well, according to Pro Football Network’s Dallas Robinson, Campbell lands at No. 9, which is certainly a respectable ranking.
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However, there is definitely an argument to be made for Campbell to be one spot higher. First, a look at the entire top 10 in Robinson’s rankings:
1. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
2. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
3. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
4. John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
5. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers
7. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
8. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
9. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
10. Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins
Reid, McVay, John Harbaugh, Tomlin and Payton all have Super Bowl rings and a history of sustained success, Shanahan has been to multiple Super Bowls and just beat Campbell in the playoffs, and LaFleur is coming off a season in which he did a fantastic job in Green Bay and he sports a win percentage .675.
Knowing all that, there isn’t a lot to gripe about when it comes to putting those head coaches ahead of Campbell.
The biggest issue with this list is Jim Harbaugh being No. 6. Granted, he did win a lot of games with the Niners, but he also hasn’t been a head coach in the NFL in a decade, and it was only four seasons. Let’s see Harbaugh do it in L.A. before placing him that high
That said, you can certainly make the argument that Campbell should be higher than Harbaugh, which, after sliding LaFleur and Payton up a spot each, puts Campbell at No. 8.
Now, if the Lions can improve upon their 2023 campaign and get to the Super Bowl, Campbell would move up, at least past LaFleur. Should Detroit win it all, we’re talking top five, easy.
