5 former Detroit Lions with a case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame

2. Robert Porcher

Porcher spent all 12 seasons of his career (1992-2003) with the Lions, and he’s the franchise’s official all-time sacks leader with 95.5. He had five double-digit sack seasons, including four straight from 1996-1999 (15 in 1999). From 1996-2001, he had 68 sacks (second-most in the NFL over that span). If not for only posting 10 sacks over his last two seasons, he would’ve surely cleared 100 career sacks with room to spare.

Howie Long was a slam-dunk Hall of Famer by many accounts. He also had 84 official sacks (91.5 unofficial) over 13 seasons (1981-1993). The marked differences between he and Porcher are more Pro Bowl selections (eight vs. three) and a Super Bowl ring.

Realistically, Porcher has no chance to get into the Hall of Fame. But he absolutely deserves consideration.

1. Herman Moore

Before throwing the ball a lot was cool in the NFL, Moore set the single-season record for receptions with 123 in 1995, a record that stood until Marvin Harrison in 2002 (143 catches). Moore’s mark is currently tied for the ninth-best single-season catch mark in league history, and he followed it with two more 100-plus catch, 1,200-plus yard seasons in 1996 and 1997. He tied for the league lead in catches in 1997, with 104.

Moore never again reached 1,000 yards in his career after 1997, and his peak (including 72 catches for 1,173 yards and 11 touchdowns in 1994) was quite short as he played less than 10 games in three of his final four NFL seasons (his final season was with the New York Giants in 2002).

Via Pro Football Reference’s career comparison chart, even as his career wound down and his production fell, Moore has some nice comps–Bob Hayes (HOF), Isaac Bruce (HOF), Sterling Sharpe (should be HOF), Antonio Brown (will be HOF based on peak numbers), Cliff Branch (HOF), Paul Warfield (HOF).