Ranking 10 greatest Detroit Lions of all time

Without further ado, here is the list: 

10. Charlie Sanders 

Charlie Sanders has seven Pro Bowls to his name and is a three-time former NFL All-Pro. An athletic tight end with talent and skill ahead of his time, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Sanders thrilled Lions audiences from 1968 to 1977.

Sanders’ pedestrian stats for their time reveal how much the game has changed since the 60s and 70s, but that doesn’t discount the enormous impact he had on the Lions franchise and the tight end position in general. Sanders was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

9. Herman Moore 

Herman Moore played on Barry Sanders’ teams and set the NFL record for receptions with 123, a number that has since relegated the former Virginia Cavaliers star to the bottom of the Top 10 list for most receptions in a single season. However, it remains the best season in Lions history.

Moore’s big body and impressive leaping skills made him one of the most exciting players in Lions history until a guy named Calvin Johnson entered the fray several years later. Moore didn’t have the blazing fast speed that Johnson had, but he did have hands of glue and an indomitable spirit that would not be denied, especially in the red zone.

Moore twice led the NFL in receptions, was a four-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro member. He’s second all time in Lions history in both receptions and receiving yards and is third in receiving touchdowns.

8. Jack Christiansen 

Christiansen was a mainstay on the Lions’ 1952, ’53, and ’57 NFL championship defenses. His career was short with just eight seasons, but his impact was immense. He was named First Team All-Pro six times and made the Pro Bowl five times. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1970.

Christiansen had 12 interceptions in 1954, two off of the Lions’ franchise record set by Dick Lane. Christiansen played from 1951 to 1958 and compiled defensive backs stats that would look incredible on paper in the year 2024, let alone from an era where passing dropbacks were incredibly scarce compared to what occurs in today’s game.

7. Lou Creekmur 

The Lions didn’t had the best luck on the offensive line from the 1990s and 2000s, but they do have a strong history led by Lou Creekmur during his time with the Lions’ NFL title-winning teams.

Creekmur played tackle and guard at 246 pounds, showing how much bulk and size has been added to linemen in the modern era. He dominated the competition from 1950 until 1959 during which he made seven First Team All-Pro teams and helped lead the Lions to three NFL titles. Creekmur was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996.

6. Matthew Stafford

Many lists have the Lions and former Georgia Bulldogs gunslinger ahead of Bobby Layne, but it’s hard to put him above Layne in good conscience knowing that he didn’t win a playoff game with the Lions, let alone a Super Bowl or NFL championship.

Stafford nonetheless set the Lions’ record books on fire, which helped him to secure this spot. No Lions fan will ever question his toughness, although they will likely question his big-game performances at times and his lack of touch on throws in key moments. Of course, he won a Super Bowl after the Lions traded him to the Los Angeles Rams.

Stafford was a fantastic quarterback in Honolulu Blue and Silver, and he deserves to be ranked highly on this list because of it.

5. Lem Barney

Lem Barney won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1967 with 10 interceptions. He helped bridge the gap between eras of Detroit Lions football, finishing with 57 interceptions and returning seven for touchdowns.

Barney’s incredible athletic and amazing coverage skills were ahead of their time, helping him to be named to seven Pro Bowls. He also made First Team All-Pro twice and became a member of the Hall of Fame in 1992.

4. Bobby Layne- 

Known as much for his drinking habits and temper as his play on the field, Bobby Layne quarterbacked the Lions to their last three NFL titles. His highest career passing yards total was just over 2,500 yards, which is why Layne ranks relatively low on this list compared to his in-game accomplishments.

Layne famously “cursed” the Lions following his trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Layne said the Lions would not win again for 50 years, a prediction that came true, at least in regards to NFL titles. While with the Lions, Layne went to four Pro Bowls. He also twice was named First Team All-Pro and once Second Team. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1967.

3. Calvin Johnson 

The ex-Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets star was unlike anything NFL fans and journalists had ever seen. I personally saw him at Lions practice in Allen Park, Mich., and Calvin Johnson was the most impressive football player I’ve ever seen live, except for the No. 1 player on this list (whom you may be able to guess).

The 6-foot-5, 237 pound matchup nightmare was one of the best deep-ball catchers in NFL history, perhaps second only to Randy Moss. He was inducted into the College Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

If not for injuries and his team’s inconsistencies, he may be in the conversation with Jerry Rice and Moss for best WR in NFL history consideration more often than he already is in today’s day and age.

2. Joe Schmidt 

Joseph Paul Schmidt, aka Joe Schmidt, started a rough-and-tumble tradition of Lions linebackers that continued with Chris Spielman in the 1990s. Schmidt made First Team All-Pro eight times and made 10 Pro Bowls. He helped lead the Lions to NFL titles in 1953 and ’57 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973.

Schmidt played his entire career with the Lions from 1953 to 1965, securing fourth- and fifth-place AP MVP Award honors with Detroit, losing out to Jim Brown in 1957 and Jim Traylor in 1962.

1. Barry Sanders 

There are simply not enough superlatives to describe how incredible this man’s brilliance on the football field was during his 10-year career in Detroit. Perhaps it’s best to let the video speak.

Sanders is a Hall of Famer who would have set the NFL’s all-time rushing record if he hadn’t rode off into the sunset in 1999. His team-record 2,053 yards rushing in 1997 remains the fourth-highest total in NFL history. Sanders still has the Top 7 rushing seasons in Lions history.

As it stands, Sanders is still widely considered as the best running back in NFL history by many fans along with Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith, and Walter Payton.