WR Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions
Is there any other player we’d start with?
The Detroit Lions suffered multiple losing seasons in the 2000s following the departure of Barry Sanders. In 2006, the team elected to add a weapon to their offense in the form of Johnson out of Georgia Tech.
Calvin Johnson, and perhaps outside of Sanders, still is the greatest offensive player the team ever had. Oh, and he was catching balls from Jon Kitna and Dan Orlovsky for a pair of seasons.
While the addition of Matthew Stafford solidified the QB issue, the Lions never found success due to a weak defense a below average offensive line. Johnson, on the other hand, was a star in the NFL on one of the league’s worst team. Since 2009, the former No.2 pick finished with over 1000 receiving yards in six of his final seven seasons. He also collected three double-digit touchdown years.
The Lions’ offensive line still has holes but has substantially improved since Johnson’s retirement in 2015. The team finally has a feature running back in Kerryon Johnson while Kenny Golladay is looking to be a future star. Imagine Megatron with this supporting cast around him instead of the mess he had down in the Motor City.
Johnson has 83 career touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference. To jump into the top 12, he’d need just six scores. With his size and range, you could see him perhaps make a top 10 leap in a season or two. The Lions still have flaws, but Stafford and Johnson always connected. With a better bunch surrounding the duo, Detroit would at least be a playoff contender every season.
If not Detroit, at least let Johnson play for a ring. He’s earned one.
