Dream Team Project
Detroit Lions Dream Team
The all-time Lions lineup. Every player listed here actually suited up for the Lions, verified against trusted sources. Fans can comment on the roster or nominate a player with a short note.
Selection Ground Rules
Simple guardrails so every team stays consistent and factual.
- Roster shape: fill a real lineup (QB, RB, WRx3, TE, OL, DL, LB, CB, S, K, P, returner, coach).
- Eligibility: player must have played regular-season snaps for this team; no “almost signed” or practice squad only.
- Verification: confirm with at least two sources (team site, Pro Football Reference, official stats) before adding.
- Era balance: include representation across eras when merit exists; don’t ignore pre-2000 seasons.
- Era adjustment: modern players are bigger/faster; judge dominance relative to their era, not raw size/speed inflation.
- Tie-breakers: prioritize team impact, playoff moments, longevity with the team, then league honors.
- Exclude if primary greatness was elsewhere unless their stint here was elite.
How we fact-check
Each player is confirmed with at least two sources (team site, Pro Football Reference, official NFL stats). If unsure, we leave a placeholder instead of guessing.
Quick sanity checks
- • Confirm team tenure and position
- • Note team-specific honors (Pro Bowl, All-Pro, rings)
- • Prefer era balance over recency bias
Curated roster
Locked-in picks from the admin, grouped by unit.
Offense
11 playersQB
Bobby Layne
Legendary leader who quarterbacked three NFL championship teams and defined Lions football.
3× NFL champ (1952, 1953, 1957); 6× Pro Bowl; 2× 1st-team All-Pro; Hall of Fame
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; PFR
RB
Barry Sanders
The most electrifying runner in NFL history who made defenders look foolish with unprecedented agility.
1997 NFL MVP; 10× Pro Bowl; 6× 1st-team All-Pro; 15,269 rush yards; Hall of Fame
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; Lions.com; PFR
WR
Calvin Johnson
Megatron—a physical marvel who set the single-season receiving record and terrorized defenses.
6× Pro Bowl; 3× 1st-team All-Pro; 1,964 yards in 2012 (NFL record at time); Hall of Fame
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; Lions.com; PFR
WR
Herman Moore
Prolific receiver who set the NFL single-season receptions record in 1995.
4× Pro Bowl; 2× 1st-team All-Pro; 123 receptions in 1995 (NFL record at time)
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
WR
Cloyce Box
Deep threat of the championship era with a league-leading 15 TD catches in 1952.
2× NFL champ; led NFL in receiving TDs 1952; 24.8 yards per catch career
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
TE
Charlie Sanders
Revolutionary tight end who changed how the position was used in the passing game.
7× Pro Bowl; 3× 1st-team All-Pro; NFL 1970s All-Decade; Hall of Fame
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; PFR
LT
Lou Creekmur
Anchor of the 1950s dynasty offensive line with rare versatility and dominance.
3× NFL champ; 8× Pro Bowl; 6× 1st-team All-Pro; Hall of Fame
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; PFR
LG
Dick Stanfel
Hall of Fame guard who powered the ground game during the championship years.
2× NFL champ; 5× Pro Bowl; 4× 1st-team All-Pro; Hall of Fame (2016)
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; PFR
C
Kevin Glover
Durable center who anchored the offensive line for over a decade in Detroit.
3× Pro Bowl; 152 consecutive starts; Lions 75th Anniversary Team
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
RG
Harley Sewell
Stalwart guard of the 1950s dynasty and reliable run blocker.
1957 NFL champ; 4× Pro Bowl; 1× 1st-team All-Pro
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
RT
Lomas Brown
Pro Bowl mainstay who protected Barry Sanders era offenses.
7× Pro Bowl; 1× 1st-team All-Pro; 11 seasons in Detroit
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
Defense
11 playersDT
Alex Karras
Fearsome interior force who terrorized quarterbacks and became a cultural icon.
4× Pro Bowl; 3× 1st-team All-Pro; NFL 1960s All-Decade; Hall of Fame
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; PFR
DT
Ndamukong Suh
Dominant interior presence who wreaked havoc from day one.
3× Pro Bowl; 2010 DROY; 1× 1st-team All-Pro; 36 sacks in 5 seasons
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
DE
Robert Porcher
Franchise sack leader who anchored the defensive line for over a decade.
3× Pro Bowl; 95.5 career sacks (Lions record); 1× 2nd-team All-Pro
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
EDGE
Aidan Hutchinson
Homegrown Michigan star already among the league's elite pass rushers.
2× Pro Bowl; 11.5 sacks in 2023; 2022 DROY runner-up; fastest to 20 sacks in franchise history
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
LB
Joe Schmidt
Captain of the defense and the prototype for the modern middle linebacker.
2× NFL champ; 10× Pro Bowl; 8× 1st-team All-Pro; Hall of Fame
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; PFR
LB
Chris Spielman
Heart-and-soul linebacker who embodied toughness and led in tackles.
4× Pro Bowl; 1× 1st-team All-Pro; Lions 75th Anniversary Team
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
LB
Wayne Walker
Versatile linebacker who also handled placekicking duties.
3× Pro Bowl; 1× 1st-team All-Pro; 15 seasons with Detroit
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
CB
Dick "Night Train" Lane
Legendary ballhawk whose physical style redefined cornerback play.
7× Pro Bowl; 3× 1st-team All-Pro; 68 career INTs (NFL record); Hall of Fame
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; PFR
CB
Lem Barney
Electrifying cornerback who returned interceptions and punts for touchdowns.
7× Pro Bowl; 2× 1st-team All-Pro; 1967 DROY; 56 career INTs; Hall of Fame
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; PFR
S
Yale Lary
Two-way star as a hard-hitting safety and the NFL's premier punter.
3× NFL champ; 9× Pro Bowl; 5× 1st-team All-Pro; 3× NFL punting leader; Hall of Fame
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; PFR
S
Jack Christiansen
Ball-hawking safety and dangerous return man who led championship defenses.
4× NFL champ; 5× Pro Bowl; 5× 1st-team All-Pro; 46 career INTs; Hall of Fame
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; PFR
Special Teams / Coaching
4 playersK
Jason Hanson
Mr. Lion—spent entire 21-year career in Detroit, NFL record for one team.
2× Pro Bowl; 1997 2nd-team All-Pro; 2,150 career points; 21 seasons (NFL record with one team)
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
P
Yale Lary
Dual-threat punter who led the league three times while starting at safety.
3× NFL punting leader; 44.3 career avg; Hall of Fame
Sources: Pro Football Hall of Fame; PFR
RET
Mel Gray
Explosive return specialist who changed field position and scored at will.
4× Pro Bowl; 3× 1st-team All-Pro; 6 kick return TDs with DET
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
COACH
Buddy Parker
Mastermind of back-to-back NFL championships and the 1950s dynasty.
2× NFL champ (1952, 1953); 47-23-2 record; built championship roster
Sources: Lions.com; PFR
Add a comment or suggest a player
Keep it respectful. Suggestions need a player name + position (reason optional, but helpful).
Fan picks
Suggestions from the community. We’ll review and move worthy picks into the curated roster.
No fan suggestions yet. Be the first to nominate a player.
Discussion
General feedback on the roster.
Charlie
22 hours agoNo disrespect to the 1950s guys, but give me a backfield of Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson in today's NFL and they'd put up video game numbers.