The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the North Division of the National Football Conference. The franchise was founded in Portsmouth, Ohio, as the Portsmouth Spartans and joined the NFL on July 12, 1930. After being purchased by George A. Richards in 1934, the franchise was relocated to Detroit and renamed to the Detroit Lions in reference to the city's Major League Baseball franchise, the Detroit Tigers. The team plays its home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.
The NFL draft, officially known as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting", is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings; the teams with the worst win–loss records receive the earliest picks. Teams that qualified for the NFL playoffs select after non-qualifiers, and their order depends on how far they advanced, using their regular season record as a tie-breaker. The final two selections in the first round are reserved for the Super Bowl runner-up and champion. Draft picks are tradable and players or other picks can be acquired with them.
In 1970, the Lions took part in the first modern NFL draft after the completion of the AFL–NFL merger. With the nineteenth pick of the first round of that draft, Steve Owens, a running back out of Oklahoma University, became the Lions' first modern draft selection. In addition to the annual draft, the Lions participated in the 1984 NFL supplemental draft. This supplemental draft occurred after the formation of the United States Football League (USFL), with the primary purpose of selecting players that had already signed with a USFL team in a separate process from the annual draft. The Canadian Football League (CFL) was also included in this supplemental draft. In addition to the 1984 supplemental draft, the NFL has hosted an annual supplemental draft since 1977 for players who had circumstances affect their eligibility for the NFL draft. The Lions have only selected a player once in a supplemental draft, taking Kevin Robinson in the ninth round in 1982. Two players drafted by the Lions since 1970 have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson. The Lions have taken part in every modern NFL draft since 1970, doing so most recently in the 2025 NFL draft, where they drafted seven players.
Key +Key Indicates the player was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
1970 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Running back Oklahoma 2 Tackle Minnesota 3 Defensive end Virginia State 5 Guard Memphis 6 Defensive tackle USC 7 Linebacker Nebraska 9 Punter Tennessee 10 Running back Arkansas 11 Defensive back Kentucky State 12 Defensive back Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo 13 Defensive tackle Morehead State 14 Wide receiver Northern Arizona 15 Tackle Idaho 16 Defensive back Memphis 17 Defensive tackle Centenary Source: Pro Football Reference
1971 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Defensive tackle Cincinnati 2 Tackle Clemson 2 Linebacker USC 3 Defensive back Eastern Michigan 4 Defensive tackle Tennessee State 5 Guard Michigan 6 Quarterback Boston College 6 Wide receiver USC 7 Tackle Rice 8 Linebacker Washington 9 Running back Auburn 11 Defensive back Colorado State 12 Wide receiver Pittsburgh 13 Running back Tulane 14 Tight end Iowa State 15 Wide receiver Central Missouri State 16 Defensive back Michigan State 17 Guard Utah Source: Pro Football Reference
1972 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Defensive tackle Colorado 3 Defensive end Howard Payne 6 Defensive back Purdue 7 Wide receiver Portland State 8 Defensive back Missouri 9 Defensive back Drake 10 Linebacker Purdue 11 Defensive tackle Tulane 12 Wide receiver SMU 13 Tight end Memphis 14 Tackle Whitworth 15 Linebacker Kansas 16 Defensive back West Virginia 17 Defensive back Rice Source: Pro Football Reference
1973 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Defensive end Texas A&M–Kingsville 2 Running back Oklahoma 3 Tight end Washington 3 Linebacker Penn State 3 Defensive back Texas A&M–Kingsville 4 Linebacker Tennessee Tech 4 Defensive back Yale 4 Running back Central Oklahoma 7 Defensive end Morgan State 8 Defensive back Arizona State 8 Running back Ohio State 9 Defensive back Baylor 10 Defensive back Middle Tennessee State 11 Wide receiver Wyoming 12 Wide receiver Washington 13 Linebacker Pittsburgh 14 Tackle Santa Clara 15 Defensive back BYU 16 Wide receiver Dayton 17 Tackle Ohio State Source: Pro Football Reference
1974 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Linebacker Penn State 2 Defensive end Alcorn State 3 Running back Texas–Arlington 5 Defensive back Purdue 6 Running back NC State 6 Guard Alcorn State 7 Kicker UCLA 8 Linebacker Emporia State 10 Running back Central Oklahoma 11 Tight end Tulsa 12 Wide receiver Tampa 13 Center Kansas State 14 Defensive back Howard Payne 15 Guard Kansas State 16 Defensive back Bowling Green 17 Defensive end LSU Source: Pro Football Reference
1975 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Guard South Dakota State 2 Defensive tackle Texas 4 Tackle Georgia 6 Defensive back Purdue 6 Running back Georgia 6 Wide receiver Michigan 7 Wide receiver Drake 8 Wide receiver Oklahoma State 9 Linebacker Michigan 10 Tight end LSU 11 Guard Ohio State 12 Linebacker Iowa State 13 Running back North Carolina Central 14 Quarterback Boise State. 15 Running back Yale 16 Defensive back Kansas State 17 Defensive tackle Tulsa Source: Pro Football Reference
1976 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Defensive back Grambling State 1 Running back Wyoming 2 Guard Purdue 2 Tight end Texas A&M–Kingsville 3 Guard Long Beach State 3 Defensive tackle Hawaii 5 Linebacker Miami (FL) 7 Linebacker Texas A&M 8 Kicker Cal State-Chico 8 Defensive back West Virginia 9 Tight end Long Beach State 10 Quarterback New Mexico State 11 Defensive end Villanova 12 Center South Carolina 13 Wide receiver San Diego State 14 Wide receiver Kentucky State 15 Wide receiver Indiana 16 Linebacker William & Mary 17 Defensive back Boise State. Source: Pro Football Reference
1977 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 2 Defensive back New Mexico State 3 Running back San Jose State 4 Wide receiver Iowa State 5 Linebacker Penn State 6 Defensive back East Carolina 7 Linebacker Baylor 8 Tackle North Carolina 9 Quarterback Florida State 10 Guard Stanford 11 Linebacker Georgia Tech 12 Guard Iowa State Source: Pro Football Reference
1978 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Defensive back Notre Dame 2 Defensive end Colorado State 4 Tackle West Texas A&M 4 Guard Tennessee State 4 Center Wake Forest 5 Center Southern Miss 5 Defensive tackle Rutgers 6 Defensive back Michigan 6 Center Northwestern 6 Wide receiver California 7 Running back Pacific 8 Kicker California 10 Linebacker Purdue 11 Defensive tackle Oklahoma 12 Defensive back Washington State Source: Pro Football Reference
1979 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Tackle Penn State 2 Linebacker Wyoming 3 Running back West Texas A&M 4 Tight end Georgia 4 Linebacker Clemson 5 Center Pittsburgh 8 Linebacker C.W. Post 9 Quarterback Delaware 11 Linebacker Mississippi 12 Center Brown 12 Wide receiver Texas A&M–Kingsville Source: Pro Football Reference
1980 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Running back Oklahoma 3 Center Washington 3 Wide receiver Indiana 4 Quarterback Utah State 5 Defensive back Arizona 5 Center Arkansas 6 Tackle NC State 7 Kicker Tulane 9 Wide receiver Hawaii 9 Defensive tackle Hawaii 10 Defensive back Utah State 11 Defensive back Purdue 12 Running back Washington State Source: Pro Football Reference
1981 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Wide receiver San Jose State 2 Defensive end Alabama State 3 Guard Western Illinois 4 Wide receiver LSU 5 Guard UCLA 6 Defensive back Maryland 7 Tackle SMU 8 Tight end Colorado 9 Defensive back Arkansas 9 Defensive back Villanova 10 Linebacker Michigan 11 Defensive back Mississippi State Source: Pro Football Reference
1982 draft
Supplemental draft pick + Round Overall Name Position College 9 Defensive back North Carolina A&T
Annual draft picks + Round Overall Name Position College 1 Linebacker Nebraska 2 Defensive back Texas State 3 Linebacker New Hampshire 4 Defensive back Georgetown (KY) 5 Defensive back Texas 6 Quarterback Idaho State 7 Running back Nebraska 7 Wide receiver Oregon State 8 Defensive end UCLA 9 Defensive back Kansas 10 Linebacker Purdue 11 Wide receiver South Carolina State 12 Running back Slippery Rock 12 Tight end Grand Valley State Source: Pro Football Reference
1983 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Fullback Florida 2 Tackle Michigan 3 Linebacker Tennessee 4 Linebacker USC 5 Defensive back Missouri 5 Center Alabama 6 Wide receiver Nebraska 7 Punter Arizona State 8 Defensive back Washington 9 Forfeited due to the selection of Kevin Robinson in the 1982 supplemental draft. 10 Guard Penn State 11 Running back North Carolina Central 12 Center Idaho State Source: Pro Football Reference
1984 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Tight end California 2 Wide receiver Northern Arizona 3 Defensive end Washington State 3 Running back Oklahoma State 3 Nose tackle Oregon 4 Running back Maryland 6 Quarterback Columbia 7 Linebacker New Mexico 7 Tackle Kansas 8 Guard Texas 9 Wide receiver West Virginia 10 Defensive back North Carolina Central 10 Defensive back Louisiana Tech 11 Punter San Diego State 12 Center Tennessee Source: Pro Football Reference
1984 NFL supplemental draft
+ Round Overall Name Position Pro team 1 Wide receiver Oklahoma Outlaws 2 Linebacker Philadelphia Stars 3 Defensive end Pittsburgh Maulers Source: Pro Football Reference, Pro Football Hall of Fame
1985 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Tackle Florida 2 Center Maryland 3 Linebacker San Diego State 4 Linebacker Baylor 5 Running back NC State 6 Guard Penn State 7 Defensive back Angelo State 8 Running back Texas–Arlington 9 Linebacker Texas 10 Wide receiver Auburn 11 Defensive back Georgia 12 Guard Georgia Source: Pro Football Reference
1986 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Quarterback Iowa 2 Running back LSU 3 Guard NC State 4 Defensive back Iowa 5 Running back Nicholls State 8 Wide receiver Wyoming 9 Defensive back Colorado 10 Linebacker Morningside 11 Wide receiver Richmond 12 Defensive back Arizona Source: Pro Football Reference
1987 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Defensive end Washington 3 Nose tackle SMU 4 Defensive back Michigan 6 Linebacker Arizona 7 Defensive tackle Arizona State 8 Linebacker Iowa State 9 Running back Cal State Fullerton 10 Wide receiver South Carolina 11 Tight end Penn State 12 Wide receiver Georgia Tech Source: Pro Football Reference
1988 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Defensive back Miami (FL) 2 Linebacker Ohio State 2 Tight end Florida State 3 Wide receiver Penn State 4 Defensive back Ohio State 5 Guard LSU 6 Running back Hampton 7 Wide receiver Stanford 8 Defensive tackle Minnesota 9 Defensive back Texas A&M 9 Tackle Mississippi 10 Wide receiver UCLA 11 Quarterback Cincinnati Source: Pro Football Reference
1989 draft
+ Round Overall Name Position College 1 Running back Oklahoma State 2 Wide receiver Virginia 3 Guard Washington State 4 Defensive back Baylor 5 Nose tackle Nebraska 6 Quarterback USC 7 Defensive back Northern Michigan 8 Defensive tackle West Virginia 9 Defensive end Ohio State 10 Wide receiver Houston 11 Linebacker Penn State 12 Defensive end Memphis Source: Pro Football Reference
1990 draft