Allen Park — Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond was named a second-team All-Pro as a punt returner by the Associated Press on Friday.
Although he didn’t officially qualify as a league-leader, falling short of the required 1.25 returns per game, Raymond’s 13.2-yard average on 20 attempts would have paced the NFL. That figure marked a career-high for the six-year veteran who went undrafted out of Holy Cross in 2016. It also included the first special teams touchdown of Raymond’s career, a 47-yarder against the New York Jets.
In addition to his punt-return prowess, Raymond also had a stellar year for the Lions as a pass-catcher, hauling in 47 receptions for a personal-best 616 yards.
Raymond is the first Lions player to be named to an All-Pro team since 2020, when both center Frank Ragnow and Jack Fox were second-team selections. A Lions player hasn’t been named to the first team since 2017, when cornerback Darius Slay and punt returner Jamal Agnew were both honored.
Selected by a panel of 50 media members, Raymond finished with 25 points and two first-place votes, well behind New England rookie Marcus Jones, who captured 47 first-place votes and 147 total points. With 29 punt returns and a 12.5-yard average, Jones led the league in total return yards, highlighted by an 84-yard touchdown.
Baltimore’s Devin Duvernay received the remaining first-place vote.
Below are the full All-Pro team selections.
First team
Offense
Quarterback — Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City
Running Back — Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas
Tight End — Travis Kelce, Kansas City
Wide Receivers — Justin Jefferson, Minnesota; Tyreek Hill, Miami; Davante Adams, Las Vegas
Left Tackle — Trent Williams, San Francisco
Right Tackle — Lane Johnson, Philadelphia
Left Guard — Joel Bitonio, Cleveland
Right Guard — Zack Martin, Dallas
Center — Jason Kelce, Philadelphia
Defense
Edge Rushers — Nick Bosa, San Francisco; Micah Parsons, Dallas
Interior Linemen — Chris Jones, Kansas City; Quinnen Williams, New York Jets
Linebackers — Fred Warner, San Francisco; Roquan Smith, Baltimore; Matt Milano, Buffalo
Cornerbacks — Sauce Gardner, New York Jets; Patrick Surtain II, Denver
Safeties — Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh; Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco
Special teams
Placekicker — Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas
Punter — Tommy Townsend, Kansas City
Kick Returner — Keisean Nixon, Green Bay
Punt Returner — Marcus Jones, New England
Special Teamer — Jeremy Reaves, Washington
Long Snapper — Andrew DePaola, Minnesota
Second team
Offense
Quarterback — Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia
Running Back — Nick Chubb, Cleveland
Tight End — George Kittle, San Francisco
Wide Receivers — AJ Brown, Philadelphia; Stefon Diggs, Buffalo; CeeDee Lamb, Dallas
Left Tackle — Andrew Thomas, New York Giants
Right Tackle — Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay
Left Guard — Joe Thuney, Kansas City
Right Guard — Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta
Center — Creed Humphrey, Kansas City
Defense
Edge Rushers — Myles Garrett, Cleveland; Haason Reddick, Philadelphia
Interior Linemen — Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants; Jeffrey Simmons, Tennessee
Linebackers — Bobby Wagner, Los Angeles Rams; CJ Mosley, New York Jets; Demario Davis, New Orleans.
Cornerbacks — Jaire Alexander, Green Bay; James Bradberry, Philadelphia
Safeties — Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers; Justin Simmons, Denver
Special teams
Placekicker — Justin Tucker, Baltimore
Punter — Ryan Stonehouse, Tennessee
Kick Returner — Kene Nwangwu, Minnesota
Punt Returner — Kalif Raymond, Detroit
Special Teamer — George Odum, San Francisco
Long Snapper — Nick Moore, Baltimore
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers