Top 10 Detroit Lions from 1965 on

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While the Lions have never gone to a Super Bowl, they have had a number of exceptional players from 1965 forward.  Generally, the Lions have profiled as a defensively oriented team, but they’ve had some truly great performers on offense, just not at QB.  Greg Landry and Matt Stafford were okay, but neither one is on this list.  A few guys who didn’t quite make this list but were close include Billy Sims, Darius Slay, Jason Hansen and Wayne Walker.  On to the list of guys who did make the list:

10. Dick LeBeau:  Dick started his Lions career way back in 1959 and extended it through the 1972 season.  LeBeau made the Pro Bowl team from 1964-66.  That may seem like a low total but longevity counts for something.  Dick picked off 62 passes and returned three of them for TDs.  He also recovered nine fumbles and returned one of them for a score.  LeBeau was named to Pro Football Reference’s All 60s second team.

9. Bubba Baker:  Bubba was a pass rusher extraordinaire.  Baker hit the NFL with a bang in his rookie season in  1978 when he unofficially compiled 23 sacks.  He was also named to the Pro Bowl and All Pro teams that season.  While Baker never recorded that many sacks again, he did pile up 75.5 sacks in his five years as a Lion.   Ultimately Bubba went to a total of three Pro Bowls.  Baker got the nod over Robert Porcher because, while Porcher ultimately finished with 95.5 sacks as a Lion, Baker was truly spectacular, though for a much shorter period of time.

8. Chris Spielman:  In eight seasons as the Lions middle linebacker, Spielman is Lions all time leader in tackles and ranks 11^th in NFL history.  Chris made four Pro Bowl teams and was named All Pro once.  Spielman intercepted four passes, forced 12 fumbles and recovered 17.  He even managed to convert one fumble recovery into a TD.  You can also add 10 sacks to Spielman’s resume.  It’s enough to get him number eight on this list.

7. Lomas Brown:  The Lions have had some great running backs (just not so much recently.).  They’ve also had some pretty good offensive linemen.  At the top of that list of good offensive linemen is Lomas Brown.  Lomas helped Barry Sanders reach spectacular heights, though Barry did a lot of that on his own. Lomas spent 11 seasons as the Lions’ left tackle.  He was named to the Pro Bowl team the last six of those seasons.  In  1995, his last season in Detroit, he was also named to the All Pro team.  All in all, Lomas had a great run in Detroit.

6. Alex Karras:  Alex was a long time Lion.  His Lions career ran from 1958-1970, with a one year suspension in 1963 for gambling.  While Karras’ peak was in the mid to early 60s, his effectiveness extended beyond 1965.  In all, Alex was named to the Pro Bowl four times and All Pro three times.  Karras was named to the Pro Football Hall Fame and Pro Football Reference first team All 60s team.  Mongo and his running mate at the Lions other tackle position, Roger Brown, grabbed the spotlight when they and their Lions teammates sacked the Packers Bart Starr on Thanksgiving Day in 1962.  That performance wasn’t a fluke.

5.  Charlie Sanders:  Charlie was an able pass receiver as a tight end at a time when that was a rarity.  Sanders played for the Lions for 12 seasons and was named to the Pro Bowl seven times and All Pro three times.  He caught 336 passes for 4817 yards and 31 TDs.  In addition to his pass catching skills, Charlie was an excellent blocker.  Sanders was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All 70s second team.

4. Lem Barney:  The Lions have had some excellent corner over the years.  Dick LeBeau is on this list and Darius Slay may make it in another year or two, but for now, Lem Barney is the top corner on this list.  Barney broke in with a bang.  He intercepted the first pass thrown in his direction, by Bart Starr no less, and returned it for a TD.  He went on to lead the NFL in interception with 10, returning them for 232 yards and three TDs.  That was quite a rookie season.   In his 11 seasons in Detroit, Barney picked off 56 passes, returned them for 1077 yards and seven TDs.  He also did some punting for the Lions in 1967 and 1969 and in addition, he returned two punts for scores.  Barney was ultimately named to the Pro Bowl seven times and All Pro twice.  Lem had a great, and varied career with the Lions.

3. Herman Moore:  While the Lions haven’t had great QBs in the last 60 years, they have had some great receivers. Herman Moore is one of them.  In 11 seasons, Herman twice led the NFL in receptions.  In 1995 Moore caught 123 passes for 1686 yards and 14 TDs.  In 1997 Moore caught 104 passes for 1293 yards and eight TDs.  For his career, Herman was good for 670 catches, 9174 yards and 62 TDs.  He was a Pro Bowler four times and All Pro three times.

2. Calvin Johnson:  Herman Moore was an excellent receiver, but Megatron was on another level. In nine seasons with the Lions Calvin caught 731 passes for 11,691 and 83 TDs.. Johnson had his career high in receptions with 122 in 2012.  Those 122 catches went for 1964 yards and five TDs.  Johnson twice led the NFL in receiving yards and led the NFL in TD receptions in 2008 with 12.  Johnson provided Lions QBs with a huge catching radius and excellent ability to run after the catch.  Johnson was named to six Pro Bowls and three All Pro teams.  Calvin was one of the best receivers the NFL has seen since 1965.

1. Barry Sanders:  I’m a huge fan of Walter Payton and Gayle Sayers, but I think Barry Sanders is the best rusher since Jim Brown.  Walter Payton may have had an edge in overall play, and Gayle Sayers may have been better in an open field but Sanders was just amazing running with the ball from the line of scrimmage.  In 10 seasons with the Lions, the fewest yards he rushed for was 1115 yards in 1993 in 11 games.  For his career he ran for 15,269 yards and 85 TDs.  He also caught  352 passes for 2921 yards and another 10 TDs.  Barry led the NFL in rushing four times.  His best season was 1997 when he led the league with 20 53 rushing yards. Sanders was selected to the Pro Bowl in every one of his 10 NFL seasons and All Pro six times.  He was also the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 1991, 1994 and 1997.  Not surprisingly, he was also on the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Reference’s first team All 90s team.  And oh yea, he was the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the year in 1989.  That should be enough to establish him as number one on this list.