Yes, we know that this is taking a while!

As many of you know, we at Notinhalloffame.com are slowly generating the top 50 of each major North American sports team. That being said, we maintain and update our existing Top 50 lists annually.  We are pleased to present our pre-2026 revision of our top 50 Detroit Lions.

As for all of our top 50 players in football, we look at the following: 

1.  Duration and Impact.

2.  Traditional statistics and how they finished in the National Football League.

3.  Advanced Statistics.

4.  Playoff performance.

5. Their respective legacy on the team.

6. How successful the team was when he was there.

7. Respecting the era in which they played.

Criteria 1-4 will make up the lion’s share of the algorithm.  Please note that we have implemented this for the first time.  This has changed the rankings all throughout the board.

Last year, the Lions had high expectations but fell to a 9-8 record.  Nevertheless, the team had been so bad for so long that, despite the organization's longevity, four new entrants made our top 50.

As always, we present our top five, with no changes occurring.

1. Barry Sanders
2. Joe Schmidt
3. Bobby Layne
4. Dutch Clark
5. Lem Barney

You can find the complete list https://www.notinhalloffame.com/football/top-50-football-players-by-franchise/top-50-detroit-lions">here:

The first new entrant is Offensive Lineman, Penei Sewell.  He explodes into the #30 spot.

Quarterback Jared Goff enters the list at #42.

Wide Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown debuts at #43.

The fourth and final new entrant is Offensive Lineman Taylor Decker.  He enters at #50.

We thank you for your continued support of our lists on Notinhalloffame.com.

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.