Founded in 1930, the Lions have never won a Super Bowl or conference title.
Despite that lack of Super Bowl success, it hasn’t been because of a talent shortage.
During this current era with Dan Campbell as their head coach, they’re often among the NFL betting favourites for things such as the NFC North, the conference title, and even the Super Bowl.
There have been several all-time greats on the Lions, and below, I’ll give you my seven best Detroit Lions players of all time.
7 Best Detroit Lions Players of All Time, Ranked
| Rank | Player | Position | 49ers Years |
| 1 | Barry Sanders | RB | 1989-1998 |
| 2 | Calvin Johnson | WR | 2007-2015 |
| 3 | Matthew Stafford | QB | 2009-2020 |
| 4 | Alex Karras | DL | 1958-1962; 1964-1970 |
| 5 | Bobby Layne | QB/K | 1950-1958 |
| 6 | Lomas Brown | OT | 1985-1995 |
| 7 | Amon-Ra St. Brown | WR | 2021-Present |
Who Are the Best Detroit Lions Ever?
1. Barry Sanders
While you can rank several Lions players in any order, the one constant is always Sanders. Drafted No. 3 overall in the 1989 NFL Draft, Sanders boasts a massive resume, having played just 10 seasons.
He was the 1997 MVP, a two-time Offensive Player of the Year, made the Pro Bowl every year of his career, was a first-team or second-team All-Pro each year of his career, and is a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
He rushed for 15,269 yards and 99 touchdowns, caught 352 passes, and had 2,921 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns.
Sanders is fourth all-time in rushing despite his shorter playing career.
2. Calvin Johnson
There’s no denying that the most dominant wide receiver in Lions history and one of the best of all time is Calvin Johnson. Drafted No. 2 overall in 2007, Johnson played from 2007 to 2015 with the Lions, racking up mind-boggling numbers.
Johnson had 46 games with 100 yards or more receiving in his career. He played in 135 career games.
Johnson also scored a touchdown in 64 of those.
He caught 731 passes in his career for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns. He’s a member of the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
3. Matthew Stafford
Drafted No. 1 overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, Stafford played for the Lions through the 2020 season before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams and winning a Super Bowl in his first season in L.A.
That said, there’s no denying that Stafford is the best Lions quarterback.
He’s the team’s all-time leader in passing yards (45,109), passing touchdowns (282), pass attempts (6,224), completions (3,898), wins (74), fourth-quarter comebacks (31), and game-winning drives (38).
4. Alex Karras
A force on the interior of the defensive line, Karras played 12 seasons for the Lions in the late 50s through 1970.
A member of the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame, Karras was a three-time first-team All-Pro, six-time second-team All-Pro, a four-time Pro Bowler, and was named to the Lions’ 1960s All-Decade Team.
He played 161 games in his career, racking up four interceptions. Sacks weren’t a recorded stat until 1982, but Pro Football Reference credits Karras with 100 in his career, citing 15 in 1965 and 11 sacks or more in five seasons.
5. Bobby Layne
To find the second-best Lions quarterback ever, we need to go back 60 years before Stafford was drafted to find Bobby Layne. He began his career with the Chicago Bears and New York Bulldogs before joining the Lions in 1950. There, he served as quarterback and kicker.
He won three NFL Championships in the 1950s (Tobin Rote was the starter in 1957), was a two-time first-team All-Pro, four-time second-team All-Pro, a six-time Pro Bowler, and led the league in passing twice.
After his career with the Lions, he had an impactful run with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1958 to 1962.
He finished his career with 196 touchdowns, 26,768 passing yards, 2,451 rushing yards, and 25 rushing touchdowns. He’s a member of the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
6. Lomas Brown
While Sanders landed at No. 1 on this list, we must credit the stalwart blocking for him. Brown was drafted No. 6 overall in the 1985 NFL Draft, blocking for Sanders through the 1995 season. He played every game during his Lions tenure before moving on to play for the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He was a first-team All-Pro in 1995, a four-time second-team All-Pro, a seven-time Pro Bowler, and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown
With Calvin Johnson retiring, the Lions desperately needed a new WR1, and in 2021, in the fourth round, they found their man in St. Brown.
Since he joined the team, he’s made three Pro Bowls, two first-team All-Pro nods, and caught 106 passes or more each season from 2022 to 2024.
His best season thus far was 2023, when he caught 119 passes on 164 targets for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns.
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