Drafted sixth overall out of Florida in 1985, Lomas Brown stepped into the Motor City as a plug-and-play left tackle and immediately took command of the blind side. A smooth athlete with long arms and ideal footwork, Brown earned a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team and established himself as the anchor of Detroit's offensive line for the next decade.

Brown's tenure attained legendary prominence upon the arrival of Barry Sanders in 1989. Over a span of seven seasons, Brown and center Kevin Glover functioned as the primary facilitators both internally and on the perimeter for Sanders' remarkable rushing performances, creating openings for back-side runs and securing edge defenders. Throughout their collaborative efforts, Sanders amassed over 10,000 rushing yards, while Brown secured six consecutive Pro Bowl selections as a Lion (1990–1995) and was honored with a First-Team All-Pro selection in 1995.

Beyond his spatial dominance in Wayne Fontes' run and pass schemes, Brown was an absolute iron man. He started 163 of the 164 regular-season games he played in Detroit, anchoring lines that propelled the Lions to four playoff appearances and the 1991 NFC Championship Game.

After leaving Detroit following the 1995 season, Brown logged stops with Arizona, Cleveland, and New York before capping his 18-year NFL career by capturing an elusive ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. He returned to the franchise post-retirement as its radio color analyst and earned induction into the "Pride of the Lions" ring of honor in 2023. Brown played in 164 regular-season games with 163 starts for the franchise.