NFL Draft Do-Over: Detroit Lions Draft LB Ray Lewis in 1996
The very idea of passing on a Hall of Fame talent for a draft bust has kept supporters of the Detroit Lions anxious leading up to each and every NFL Draft.
Recall that Detroit passed on five-time All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald in 2014.
Detroit instead decided to take tight end Eric Ebron at No. 10 overall.
Donald since has become one of the most dominant defensive linemen in the NFL, while Ebron is no longer part of the Lions organization.
Merely mentioning Ebron's name in the presence of Lions fans dampens the mood.
Draft-day mistakes -- such as Detroit's selection of Ebron -- happen to each and every NFL franchise, though.
In his latest piece for Bleacher Report, Brent Sobleski revisited each NFL team's worst decision on draft day, and took a look at the player that each organization could've instead chosen.
According to Sobleski, the Lions' biggest draft misfire came in 1996 when they selected linebacker Reggie Brown at No. 17 overall instead of a certain Pro Football Hall of Famer:
"Detroit Lions will never know what Reggie Brown could have become, because the 17th overall pick in that draft suffered a spinal contusion during his second season and never played again.
Lewis, meanwhile, might be the greatest middle linebacker of all time. He spent 17 seasons as the face of the Ravens franchise, earned 13 Pro Bowl nods and became a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year."
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