As the Detroit Lions have become one of the best teams in the NFL, their best players have naturally gotten more recognition on a national scale. That has been reflected by being well-represented at the Pro Bowl (now the Pro Bowl Games), with voting weighed in equal measure from fans, players, and coaches.
In recent years, the list of candidates to be first-time Pro Bowlers for the Lions has been thinned and replenished at the same time, as players graduate from the list and are replaced by fresh candidates who are ready for their star-making turn.