Ranking Lions' No. 2 Picks All-Time

SI All Lions ranks the best No. 2 overall selections made by the Detroit Lions in team history.

The Detroit Lions have the No. 2 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.

With this selection comes plenty of pressure to nail the pick. There isn’t a lot of room for error at this spot, as every single player, except for one, will be available for selection.

It’s the seventh time the team has the No. 2 overall selection in its history, plus the fifth time in the modern era of the NFL.

Before the Lions make their pick in 2022, let’s revisit the history of the team at this selection and rank its previous No. 2 selections. 

6.) Glenn Davis, RB, Army

Year drafted: 1947

Davis was selected, but never played for the Lions. As a graduate of Army, he was required to fulfill his obligations to service. He was traded to the Los Angeles Rams following the draft.

The 1946 Heisman Trophy winner appealed to receive an extended leave from the Army that would allow him to play in the NFL, but the request was denied and his debut was delayed until 1950. 

In his career, he carried the ball 152 times for 616 yards and four touchdowns. His career lasted just two seasons, as he played his last snap in 1951, with injuries cutting his time short.

5.) John Rauch, QB, Georgia

Year drafted: 1949

Rauch was drafted by the Lions, but didn’t play a snap for the team. After being selected, he was traded to the New York Bulldogs for the rights to Doak Walker.

This trade wound up being a good one, as Walker was a four-time first-team All-Pro in his six seasons as a Lion. Rauch didn’t make an impact in Detroit, but helped land the team a future Hall of Famer.

In his career, Rauch was 0-3 as a starter, and he threw eight touchdowns, as opposed to nine interceptions.

4.) Charles Rogers, WR, Michigan State

Year drafted: 2003

There was real optimism surrounding Rogers when the Lions picked him No. 2 overall in the 2003 draft. He had blazing speed, and was a local phenom, hailing from Saginaw and Michigan State University.

However, injuries cut his career short. After just three seasons, Rogers was out of the league. In that time, he suffered two broken collarbones, and caught just 36 passes for 440 yards and four scores.

Rogers’ career lasted just 15 games. He died in 2019, at the age of 38.

3.) Bennie Blades, S, Miami

Year drafted: 1988

There’s a bit of a disclaimer here -- Blades was not selected No. 2 overall. Instead, he was picked third, after Kansas City and Detroit swapped first-rounders in the 1988 draft.

In the trade, the Lions also received a second-round pick that would be used to pick Ohio State linebacker Chris Spielman. As a result, the organization had two anchors for its defense for nearly the next decade. 

Spielman was a four-time Pro Bowler, while Blades made one Pro Bowl appearance (in 1991). The Miami product started 134 games in his nine years in Detroit, intercepting 12 passes and forcing nine fumbles.

Blades had three seasons of 100 tackles or more. He was with the Lions until 1996, and spent the final season of his career (1997) with the Seattle Seahawks.

2.) Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

Year drafted: 2010

The Lions were looking to rebuild, and took the first step in taking quarterback Matthew Stafford a year earlier in the 2009 draft. In 2010, the team got its big defensive piece in Suh.

After a dominant college career, the Nebraska product set the world on fire in his first season. He logged 10 sacks, and was named Defensive Rookie of the Year, as well as a first-team All-Pro.

In five seasons with the Lions, he was a four-time Pro Bowler and a three time All-Pro. He logged 36 total sacks, forced two fumbles and picked off one pass. Suh was as dominant a defender as the team had seen in some time.

Following the 2014 season, Suh and the Lions were unable to reach an agreement, and he departed for Miami. Since then, his career has taken somewhat of a downturn, as he has made just one Pro Bowl in the ensuing years.

However, his career reached its pinnacle in 2020, when he won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He’s still a free agent, heading into his age-35 season.

© Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

1.) Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech

Year drafted: 2007

After the Oakland Raiders drafted JaMarcus Russell with the top pick in the 2007 draft, Johnson fell into the lap of the Lions. Detroit made the pick, and "Megatron" was born, as one of the best receivers in league history began a storied career.

The six-time Pro Bowler holds all sorts of records within the Lions organization, including receiving yards (11,619), receiving touchdowns (83) and receptions (731). Despite this, he was never part of a team that won a playoff game.

The 6-foot-5 star had his best season in 2012, when he set the NFL’s single-season receiving yards record with 1,964 yards. 

Johnson retired following the 2015 season at age 30, citing injuries and fatigue. After his decision, the Lions wanted him to pay back some of his bonus money. This led to a rocky relationship between the team and one of its best players, though this seems to be on the mend as of late.

The Georgia Tech product was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, and was honored at halftime of last season’s Week 3 game against the Baltimore Ravens.