2. Bobby Layne
At number two comes the Lions' second all-time leading passer, Bobby Layne. Originally drafted no. 3 overall by the Chicago Bears in the 1948 NFL Draft, Layne spent just one year there before he played another in New York. From there, he would go on to play eight and a half years with the Lions, where he became one of the more successful passers in Detroit history.
In those seasons, Layne threw for a total of 15,710 yards, 118 touchdowns and 142 interceptions. He played back in an era where it was more difficult to limit turnovers, which is why three of his four Pro Bowl selections in Detroit came during seasons where he finished with more interceptions than touchdowns.
Heck, his All Pro nod in 1956 saw him throw just nine touchdowns to 17 interceptions that year. Go figure. He also earned an All Pro selection back in 1952 where he at least threw for 19 touchdowns. However, he also tallied 20 picks that year.
It was truly a different era when Layne played. Overall, Layne's record of 53-29-2 still stands as a very respectable number overall, especially considering the context.