Number Two – 2013
Selection/Position: Ezekiel Ansah / Defensive End
Draft position/School: 5th overall / BYU
Tenure with Lions: 2013 – Present
Lions statistics: 80 games played, 73 starts, 48 sacks
As the Ziggy Ansah era in Detroit potentially comes to a close in 2019, it’s hard to see him fitting in any lower than second place on this list thanks to his quick development as a legitimate pass rusher in the NFL. However, the elements of his Lions career that continually frustrated fans keep him away from the top spot.
In order to replace the production of defensive end Cliff Avril who left for the Seattle Seahawks in free agency in 2013, the Lions selected Ansah, a raw but tantalizing talent out of BYU. He had only been playing football for three years upon being drafted that year, but his physical profile and potential appealed to the Lions, and he was their man.
It paid off early, as Ansah registered 15.5 sacks in his first two seasons, and nearly eclipsed those numbers in year three with a career-best 14.5 takedowns in 2015. His stock as one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers was climbing.
That was the pinnacle of the roller coaster for Ansah with the Lions, as a litany of injuries started to be part of any sentence with his name in it. Those ailments cost him five games between 2016-2017, and a recurring shoulder injury robbed him of more than half the season in 2018. When he was on the field, his production and effectiveness were clearly affected by lingering bumps and bruises, and he hasn’t come close to matching his impressive 2015 campaign.
As free agency approaches, the door isn’t completely closed on a return for Ansah, but it may simply be time to move on. He played last season on the franchise tag to the tune of over $17 million, an untenable number for the Lions to repeat. As an unrestricted free agent, even at age 29, Ansah could command a deal close to what he made last season from a team in need of a pass rusher.
Looking back, the Lions made a smart choice in selecting Ansah; he is the only defensive end to make a Pro Bowl from his draft. They couldn’t have foreseen his body slowly betraying him as the years passed by. However, they likely relied on him a little too much. Particularly in recent years, when he simply couldn’t stay on the field consistently.