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<p>Many of the Detroit Lions&#39; first-round draft picks have failed to leave a mark on the NFL. In fact, players like Aaron Gibson and Joey Harrington are often sited among <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/biggest-first-round-nfl-draft-pick-busts/ranker-sports" target="_blank">the biggest draft busts in NFL history</a>. However, fans can also count among Lions draft picks Barry Sanders, one of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-football-players-ever" target="_blank">the greatest football players of all time</a>, so it hasn&#39;t been all bad.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But who has been the top first-round pick in the history of the Lions? The stats below reflect only players&rsquo; time spent with Detroit, and that&rsquo;s what you should consider when voting. How much did these players help the team that drafted them?</p>


The Detroit Lions' Best First-Round NFL Draft Picks, Ranked By Fans

The Best Detroit Lions First-Round Picks In The NFL Draft

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Barry Sanders

Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is a former American football running back. He played professionally for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). A Pro Bowl invitee in each of his ten NFL seasons and two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and established himself as one of the most elusive runners in pro football with his quickness and agility. In 2007, he was ranked by NFL Network's NFL Top 10 series as the most elusive runner in NFL history, and also topped its list of greatest players never to play in a Super Bowl. He is often regarded as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. 
Sanders played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys football team, where, as a junior in 1988 he compiled what is considered one of the greatest individual seasons in college football history, rushing for 2,850 yards and 42 touchdowns in 12 games. He was awarded the Heisman Trophy as the most outstanding college player in the nation and was unanimously recognized as an All-American. Sanders was first inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. He then was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003 and that same year inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. 
Sanders joined the Lions in 1989 and had an immediate impact, winning the NFL's Rookie of the Year award. Through ten seasons in Detroit, he averaged over 1,500 rushing yards per season and just under 100 rushing yards per game. In 1997, he became the third player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season and was named the NFL Most Valuable Player. Still seemingly in his prime, Sanders unexpectedly retired from football after the 1998 season, 1,457 yards short of breaking the NFL's all-time rushing record. His number 20 jersey was retired by the Lions, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. A year later Sanders was also inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame along with fellow pro and college football hall of famer Thurman Thomas.

Calvin Johnson

Calvin Johnson Jr.  (born September 29, 1985) is a former American football wide receiver. A two-time All-American at Georgia Tech, Johnson was selected second overall by the Detroit Lions of the National Football League in the 2007 NFL Draft, and he played for the Lions for all of his professional career. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wide receivers of all time despite his early retirement at age 30 in 2016.On March 14, 2012, Johnson signed an eight-year, $132 million contract extension with the Lions, one of the largest sports contracts ever.
Johnson had a rare combination of size (6 ft 5 in and 239 lbs), catching ability, speed (40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds), strength, leaping ability, and body control. He was nicknamed Megatron, after a Transformers character; the name was given to him by Lions teammate Roy Williams and caught on with fans.
On December 22, 2012, Johnson broke Jerry Rice's single-season record of 1,848 receiving yards, and finished the 2012 season with 1,964 yards, an average of almost 123 yards per game. In that same game versus the Atlanta Falcons, Johnson also set the NFL records for consecutive 100-yard games (8, later tied by Adam Thielen) and consecutive games with 10 or more receptions (4). He tied Michael Irvin's record for most 100-yard games in a season with 11.

Herman Moore

Herman Joseph Moore (born October 20, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons.  He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers.  He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round of the 1991 NFL Draft, and also played for the NFL's New York Giants.

Billy Sims

Billy Ray Sims (born September 18, 1955) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the 1980s.  Sims played college football for the University of Oklahoma, where he was a two-time consensus All-American, and won the Heisman Trophy in 1978.  He was the first overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the NFL's Detroit Lions. Sims was the last Oklahoma player taken Number 1 overall in the NFL Draft until quarterback Sam Bradford was taken first in the 2010 NFL Draft. He was given the nickname "Kung Fu Billy Sims" by ESPN's Chris Berman, after a game where the Detroit Lions played the Houston Oilers. In the NFL Films highlight, rather than be tackled during a rushing attempt, Sims ran at, jumped, and, while fully airborne, kicked Oilers Cornerback Steve Brown in the head.

Matthew Stafford

John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He was raised in Dallas, Texas, and went to Highland Park High School. He attended the University of Georgia, where he played football for the Bulldogs, and was drafted by the Lions first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played in Detroit for 11 seasons, before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams on January 31, 2021.
Stafford is the fourth quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a single season, being one of three players to do it in 2011, and is the fastest player in NFL history to reach 30,000 yards in (109 games). Stafford also holds the NFL record for the most comeback wins in a season, recording eight in the 2016 NFL season. In 2017, he signed a $135-million contract extension with the Lions, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history at the time.

Mel Farr

Melvin Farr (November 3, 1944 – August 3, 2015) was an American football player and businessman.
A native of Beaumont, Texas, Farr played college football as a halfback on the 1965 and 1966 UCLA Bruins football teams that were ranked No. 4 and No. 5 respectively in the final AP Polls.  He was selected as a consensus first-team All-American in 1966, gained over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in both 1965 and 1966, and was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988.
Farr was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the first round, seventh overall pick, of the 1967 NFL Draft and played seven years as a running back for the Lions.  He led the Lions in both rushing and receiving in 1967, totaling 1,177 yards from scrimmage as a rookie, and was selected as the NFL Rookie of the Year.  He was twice selected to play in the Pro Bowl, in 1967 and 1970. In a career shortened by injury, Farr gained a total of 4,446 yards from scrimmage and scored 36 touchdowns during his seven years in the NFL.After retiring from football, Farr acquired a Ford Motor Company dealership in 1975, eventually expanding his business to 11 dealerships in five states.  By 1998, Farr's automotive group was cited as the largest African-American owned company in the country. His business failed in 2002 following adverse publicity and lawsuits relating to sales and finance practices.

Many of the Detroit Lions' first-round draft picks have failed to leave a mark on the NFL. In fact, players like Aaron Gibson and Joey Harrington are often ...