10 Best Draft Picks of the Last 25 years.

If a list of the 10 worst draft picks of the last 25 years had to be done, so then should a list of the top 10 best picks should also be done. One might wonder if the Lions had 10 notable players/picks in the last 25 years, but history shows that, where they might not have a lot more than 10, they do at least have 10 players worth showing a little pride over.

It's hard to believe that anybody on this list could have been drafted by Matt Millen, but surprisingly, or maybe because his reign covers more than a third of the twenty five years, he managed to place two in the top 10.

10. Shaun Rogers - DT - 2nd round (#61 overall) 2001. Big Baby came to the Lions injured, via a draft day trade in Millen's first draft. Rogers has been known to take plays off, lots of plays off, but when he is on, he is one of the most dominant forces in the game. He's been selected to three pro bowls in his career as he has amassed 35.5 sacks and 344 tackles over his nine year career.

9. Calvin Johnson - WR - 1st round (#2 overall) 2007. It is still very earl in Johnson's career and this may be a major league jump, but Johnson is a human freak who will be consistently moving up this chart throughout his career. In his three years in the league so far, he has averaged 7 TD's per year and just over a 1000 yards as the only weapon on the roster. No running back and no complimentary receiver or tight end. He's doing that all under TRIPLE coverage...hopefully that'll change this year.

8. Ray Crockett - CB - 4th round (#86 overall) 1989. In my mind, Crockett will always be remembered as the guy who intercepted a pass, blazed 99 yards down the sideline and then stopped at the 1 yard line, and then turned around to look over the field at the rest of the players before stepping back into the endzone for a touchdown. Crockett played five years for Detroit before escaping via free agency. His career lasted 14 seasons in which he intercepted 36 balls, returning 3 for TD's, returned 2 fumble recoveries for scores, and even chipped in 15.5 sacks. Not bad for a fourth round pick.

7. Luther Ellis - DT - 1st round (#20 overall) 1995. Ellis was a massive DT who managed to make it to two pro bowls in his 10 year career (9 with Detroit). He clogged the line and pushed the pocket, helping to free up Robert Porcher on the outside. He is credited for 29 sacks and 213 tackles.

6. Bennie Blades - S - 1st round (#3 overall) 1988. Blades was the first pick in a draft that started an almost decade long revitalization of the Lions to relevancy. Bennie played for the Lions for nine years and was selected to the pro bowl after the mythic 1991 season. Often criticized for his stone hands, he managed 14 interceptions and a single TD in his career. Blades is currently ranked second in team history with 815 tackles.

5. Jason Hanson - K - 2nd round (#56 overall) 1992. Who spends a second round pick on a kicker? Hanson was drafted the year after the Lions only playoff run in more than 50 years and was perceived by many to be a "luxury" pick. But Hanson has been more than a luxury, he's been a God send. He's played 17 seasons, so far, and is responsible for 1835 points. A total that is more than 700 points better than his nearest competitor in Lions history. Hanson has been to two pro bowls and should be going to the Hall of Fame. Why is he so low on this list? He is "only" a kicker.

4. Robert Porcher - DE - 1st round (#26 overall) 1992. 3 pro bowls, 95.5 sacks (#1 in Lions History), 12 years...all in Detroit. A class act. After Chris Spielman was forced out of Detroit, he was one of the only constants left in the defense. The Lions have always had issues keeping corners, their linebackers seemed to always be in a constant state of flux and yet, you could write it down, 10+ sacks and solid effort every game from Robert Porcher. Porcher is still in Detroit, a solid citizen and businessman and can occasionally still be seem at Lions games.

3. Chris Spielman - LB - 2nd round (#29 overall) 1988. 1138 career tackles as a Lion, 300 more than the second place guy. Spielman was the heart and soul of the defense for most of the '90's. The day Wayne Fontes and Chuck Schmidt let him leave for Buffalo via free agency, I gave up the Lions for a year. 3 time pro bowler.

2. Herman Moore - WR - 1st round (#10 overall) 1991. In 1995, Herman Moore caught, what was then, an NFL record 123 passes. The mark still stands as #2 of all time. His name stands atop almost all the Lions receiving records. In his 11 year career, he was selected to 4 pro bowls, caught 670 passes (#1 in Detroit history) for 9174 yards (#1 in Detroit history) and 62 receiving TD's (#1 in Detroit history).

1. Barry Sanders - RB - 1st round (#3 overall) 1989. There are times when I catch replays of the things that Barry did on the field for ten years and think to myself, "The Hall of Fame isn't good enough for Barry." People that claim that Emmitt Smith or Walter Payton or even Jim Brown are better running backs than Barry are in desperate need of medication or a detox period. In ten years, Barry ran for 15,269 yards (almost 3 times the next player in Lions history, Billy Simms--who wasn't too shabby in his own right.) Emmitt Smith may own the all time record for yards, but if Barry played three more years, like he could have, the record would most likely be well over 20K and Smith would have never even sniffed the record.

He ran for 99 touchdowns--and was consistently pulled by brain dead coaches in goal line situations. He could have easily had at least another 25, probably more.

Barry wasn't just the best Lions draft pick of the last 25 years, a very good argument could be made that he was the best NFL pick of the last 25 years. And to think Green Bay passed him over for Tony Mandarich.