Few players in professional football history have personified two-way versatility like Dick "Sizzy" Szymanski, an iron-jawed pivot who could snap to Johnny Unitas on one drive and drop back to wallop opposing halfbacks on the next. Emerging from Notre Dame in 1955, Szymanski hit Baltimore like a physical revelation, jumping straight into the starting center spot as a rookie to earn Pro Bowl honors before putting his gridiron career on hold to serve his country in the U.S. Army.

After missing the entire 1956 season due to military service, Szymanski returned to a roster that needed his grit on the other side of the ball. Head coach Weeb Ewbank shifted him to middle linebacker for the 1959 and 1960 campaigns, where Szymanski flanked Don Shinnick and Bill Pellington to form one of the league's most punishing linebacking trios. His instinctive play inside proved vital during Baltimore's run to their second consecutive title in 1959, including a 31–16 victory over the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game.

Returning to his primary center position in 1961, Szymanski re-established himself as one of the game's premier offensive line generals. Serving as the pre-snap caller and protector for Johnny Unitas, he played in 80 consecutive regular-season games from 1959 through 1964, earning two additional Pro Bowl invitations in 1962 and 1964 while anchoring a front line that powered Baltimore back to the top of the league.

Durable, tough, and fiercely loyal across 13 active seasons spent exclusively in horseshoe blue and white, Szymanski appeared in 155 regular-season games, winning three NFL Championship rings (1958, 1959, 1968) before transitioning directly into a multi-decade front office career with the franchise as a scout, personnel director, and general manager. 

Syzmanski left the gridiron with 129 starts, 6 interceptions, and one of the most solid reputations in franchise history.

Selected in the first round (16th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State—where he anchored a national championship offensive line—Taylor Decker stepped directly into Detroit's starting lineup as a rookie and immediately solidified the critical left tackle position. Starting all 16 games and earning PFWA All-Rookie Team honors in his inaugural campaign, Decker became a reliable cornerstone of the Lions' front line through multiple coaching regimes, quarterback changes, and organizational rebuilds.

For a decade in Honolulu Blue, Decker defined consistency on the blind side. His rare blend of length, footwork, and textbook technique allowed him to match up against the league's elite edge rushers, shielding signal-callers from Matthew Stafford to Jared Goff. Alongside center Frank Ragnow and tackle Penei Sewell, Decker was an indispensable pillar of one of the NFL's most physical and dominant offensive lines, helping pave the way for Detroit's rise into a premier contender.

Beyond his pass-blocking credentials and run-clearing power, Decker carved out a unique place in franchise folklore as a surprisingly clutch goal-line receiver. He hauled in three career receptions for 15 yards and two touchdowns—scoring against the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 and the Seattle Seahawks in 2021—while also becoming the focal point of the infamous reporting controversy against Dallas late in the 2023 season.

Decker’s individual excellence and team leadership peaked in 2023, when he earned his first career Pro Bowl selection while helping guide the Lions to an NFC North title and their first NFC Championship Game appearance in over three decades. Through ten active seasons in Detroit, his durability remained his calling card, battling through hand, shoulder, and ankle injuries to start every game he suited up for.

After a ten-year run that included 140 consecutive starts, Decker's tenure in Detroit ended after the 2025 season. 

A superstar in both football and baseball at USC, Washington couldn't join the National Football League because of its segregationist policies, so he dominated for the Hollywood Bears in the Pacific Coast Professional Football League, where he was their best player.  When the Cleveland Rams relocated to Los Angeles, the time was right for reintegration, and the Rams signed him (along with Woody Strode).  Washington’s knees were already banged up, and his tenure in the NFL was only three years, but his role in football should never be discounted. 

His overall impact definitely earns him his place on this list.  If only!!!

Selected in the fourth round (112th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of USC, Amon-Ra St. Brown arrived in Detroit carrying a permanent chip on his shoulder, famously memorizing the names of all 16 receivers drafted before him. That relentless drive and obsession with proving his doubters wrong paid off immediately. St. Brown rapidly established himself as the ultimate slot disrupter and contested-catch specialist, delivering a 90-reception, 912-yard rookie campaign that signaled the birth of an elite playmaker in Motown.

Operating as Jared Goff’s primary security blanket and tactical focal point, St. Brown evolved into one of the most complete, fearless wideouts in professional football. Known for his brutal, physical blocking in the run game, razor-sharp route precision, and uncanny hands in traffic, "The Sun God" posted four consecutive 1,000-yard receiving campaigns from 2022 through 2025. His rare ability to manufacture yards after the catch turned simple intermediate routes into explosive downfield gains.

The apex of his career to date arrived during his extraordinary 2023 and 2024 campaigns, establishing him as an undisputed First-Team AP All-Pro selection in both years. In 2023, he hauled in 119 receptions for 1,515 yards and 10 touchdowns, powering the Lions to their first division title in three decades. He backed that up with a staggering 2024 performance, catching 115 passes for 1,263 yards and a career-high 12 touchdowns. Across that two-year peak, St. Brown stood as the single most dependable target in the NFC, converting third downs at an unprecedented rate.

St. Brown kept his foot on the gas throughout the 2025 season, catching 108 passes for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns to log his third straight 100-reception year. By becoming the fastest receiver in franchise history to eclipse 400 career receptions and 5,000 career receiving yards, he solidified his standing alongside Calvin Johnson and Herman Moore among Detroit's wide receiver royalty, cementing his place as the undisputed emotional engine of the locker room.

Heading into the 2026 season, St. Brown stands as the cultural heart and primary engine of a Lions offense poised for another championship run. At just 26 years old, his rare combination of interior toughness, pre-snap intelligence, and obsessive work ethic makes him virtually impossible for opposing secondary schemes to neutralize. With three Pro Bowl nods and two First-Team AP All-Pro selections already under his belt, St. Brown enters the 2026 campaign aiming to rewrite every remaining franchise receiving mark.