Two former Detroit Lions make the cut on NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team
By Jon Poole
For the first time since Barry Sanders in the 1990s, we have some Detroit Lion representation on the NFL’s 2010s All-Decade Team.
The NFL and Hall of Fame released it’s 2010’s All-Decade team this week with two former Detroit Lions making the cut. Two years post the 0-16 2008 season and a decade in the 2000s where the Lions went 42-118, the 2010s was a decade filled with mediocrity for the Lions going 72-87-1.
While two out of a possible 52 players might surprise you at first, the Lions have had their fair share of elite talent throughout the 2010s … depth was always the issue. The two elite players honored by the NFL Monday were wide receiver Calvin Johnson and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. You can see the full lineup here.
Johnson was drafted second overall by the Lions in 2007 and played through 2015. From 2010 to 2015 Megatron was 9th, 1st, 1st, 3rd, 16th, and 10th in receiving yards. Broke the single-season receiving yards record in 2012 with 1,964 yards, and was elected to six Pro Bowls and three All-Pro selections.
Suh was also drafted second overall to really pump in talent to start off the decade. Though only playing until 2014 in Detroit, those five seasons were by far his best in the NFL. In his last year with the Lions Suh had 44 solo tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 8.5 sacks. Which equates to not even his best year in Detroit but he would also never reach any of those totals after leaving in free agency. Suh made four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams in his five seasons as a Lion.
Next. The Detroit Lions 2010s All-Decade team on offense. dark
With the Lions holding the third overall pick in 2020, only one slot of down from where both Calvin Johnson and Ndamukong Suh was drafted, maybe they hit and get a head start on their 2020s team nominations. If they could only get some depth help around all these high draft picks, maybe they could get a post-season win as well.