Drafting from Disaster: 10 years of Lions draft classes

Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty ImagesThe 2008 season was certainly a low-point for the Detroit Lions. Being the first team to go 0-16 in NFL history led to a total overhaul, from the front office to the player personnel. Free agency was important, but the Lions needed to draft well. It was poor drafting that led to their failure; Joey Harrington, Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Ernie Sims, and Gosder Cherilus are some of the first-round picks that did not make a lasting impact for the 2000s Lions. With the 2009 first overall pick in hand, newly minted GM Martin Mayhew and head coach Jim Schwartz were tasked with rebuilding from arguably the worst team in NFL history — they were drafting from disaster.

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