The Detroit Lions best draft picks by round since 2009

The Detroit Lions 2019 draft is just a week away. So, this is a great time to look at who have been the best picks from each round in the last ten years.

We’re getting close to the NFL draft, again. It’s lots of fun for draftniks and even casual fans, alike.

The Detroit Lions have not always had the greatest success drafting great talent but we can always take solace in the fact that they do, occasionally, get a couple of picks right. Here are some reminders about what has gone right is in the last ten years, best pick by round.

One thing that will become crystal clear is the horrible legacy of former general managers Matt Millen and his successor, Martin Mayhew. Every pick from the number one overall in 2009 to pick 237 of the 2018 draft is under the microscope.

What should be noted is that Kick In the Crotch Weekly is not automatically choosing the highest pick from each year’s draft round but we are looking for which player gave the best value or production for where they were selected.

Bob Quinn, the current general manager, has had three drafts but it is often difficult to judge a pick within the first three years. Nonetheless, his picks and signings comprise almost all of the Lions roster going into the 2019 season.

The entire draft history of the Lions is available from the NFL website here.

In the following pages, I’ll reveal my choices for the Lions’ best draft picks by round since 2009. We start with the sixth and seventh rounders and work our way to the first.