Detroit Lions: 15 best first-round draft picks of all-time
By John Buhler
. DE. South Carolina State Bulldogs, 1992. Robert Porcher. 11. player. 50
When it comes to getting after the quarterback, nobody did it better for longer in Lions uniform than defensive end Robert Porcher. The Lions selected Porcher at the end of the first round at No. 26 out of South Carolina State back in 1992. He would end up being the franchise’s all-time leader in quarterback sacks.
Porcher played his entire 12-year NFL career with the Lions from 1992 to 2004. He would make three trips to the Pro Bowl in his NFL career. Those three seasons in 1997, 1999 and 2001, Porcher would be named First-Team All-Pro by Pro Football Weekly.
After only recording one sack during his rookie year in 1991, Porcher would tap into his obvious pass-rushing talent and record over 10 sacks in a season five times. The most he ever totaled in an NFL campaign was in 1999 when he had 15.0.
He would retire with 95.5 quarterback sacks in 187 career games, all with the Lions. His 673 career tackles have him at No. 7 all-time in Lions franchise history. Keep in mind that he played on the defensive line.
Porcher remains an active member of the Detroit community, owning several businesses in the downtown area. The Lions’ Man of the Year Award is named after him. Porcher may never be a Pro Football Hall of Famer, but he is one of the best player to have ever donned a Lions uniform. He has set the standard for what it means to get after the quarterback in the Motor City.