When you think of Lions wide receivers, who comes to mind? Does a certain #81 running go routes from Matthew Stafford pop into your head? Was he a cheat-code in Madden on back-shoulder fades?

Yes, former Lions WR Calvin Johnson is one of the best wideouts of all time. What other Lions greats join him on the franchise’s all-time top 10 wide receivers list? Keep reading this Betway Insider top 10 to find out.

As usual, all stats are courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and are updated through the end of the 2023 regular season.

Who are the Detroit Lions starting Wide Receivers for the 2023 NFL season?

The Lions 2023 starting wide receivers include WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Josh Reynolds.

Detroit Lions Wide Receivers History

Lions wide receiver history starts and ends with one man: Calvin Johnson. “Megatron” was the best receiver of his era and still holds the single-season receiving yards record.

Famous Detroit Lions Wide Receivers

Other famous wide receivers for the Lions include 90s stars like WR Herman Moore and WR Johnnie Morton.

Ranking the Top 10 Greatest Detroit Lions Wide Receivers of all time

  1. Terry Barr, 1957-1965

Former Detroit WR Terry Barr was primarily used as a defensive back during his first season. He didn’t blossom as a wideout (or as a flanker, since those days) until later in his career -- Barr’s first 1,000+ yard season came when he was a 28-year-old in 1963.

Barr also led the league with 13 receiving scores in 1963, helping him earn his maiden Pro Bowl selection. He followed it up with another 1,000+ yards and a Pro Bowl season in 1964 before his numbers regressed in 1965.

  1. Marvin Jones Jr, 2016-2020

Former Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr had one of the sneakiest-successful WR careers of the 2010s. After serving as the second fiddle to WR AJ Green in Cincinnati to start his career, Jones signed a bargain five-year, $40 million contract in Detroit

Jones was never a Pro Bowler as a Lion, but he was remarkably consistent. The deep threat averaged 859 yards per season in his five Detroit campaigns, peaking at 1,101 yards in 2017. That’s good enough to rank him ninth on the franchise’s all-time list. More impressively, Jones ranks third in Lions history for receiving touchdowns.

He’s more than just a random nostalgic 2010s receiver!!

  1. Golden Tate, 2014-2018

Former Detroit WR Golden Tate was yet another successful product of the Lions’ pass-happy Matthew Stafford offense of the 2010s. He just edges Marvin Jones due to his incredible 2014 campaign, when he went for a career-best 1,331 receiving yards to help propel the Lions into the playoffs. More impressively: WR Calvin Johnson only had 1,077 that season.

Tate eclipsed 1,000+ yards in three of his four full seasons in Detroit -- he was traded midway through the 2018 campaign to Philadelphia for a third-round pick. He ranks seventh on the franchise list for receiving yards.

  1. Cloyce Box, 1949-1950, 1952-1954

Former Lions WR Cloyce Box is more than just a fantastic name. He only lasted five seasons in Detroit, missing one campaign in the middle of his career to serve in Korea. Box was one of the team’s key offensive weapons alongside RB Doak Walker, leading the NFL with 15 receiving touchdowns in 1952. Those 15 scores are the second-most by a Lion in a single season.

Box was a First-team All-Pro in 1952 and made the second Pro Bowl of his career. Due to his abridged career, he checks the box at only 23rd on the team’s all-time receiving list. However, Box has the seventh most receiving touchdowns in Lions history.

  1. Amon-Ra St. Brown, 2021-Present

Current Lions star wide receiver Amon-Ra St Brown has gotten exponentially better with every passing season in the NFL. The former fourth-round pick surprised with 912 yards as a rookie in 2021 before exploding for 1,161 yards in 2022, earning his first Pro Bowl berth.

In 2023, Brown was a First-team All-Pro: he went for 1,515 yards and 10 scores and helped lead a talented Lions squad to a 12-5 record. If things go to plan, St. Brown will certainly be in contention for a top three spot on this list.

  1. Gail Cogdill, 1960-1968

Another past Lions star wide receiver is Gail Cogdill, who was arguably the team’s best player of the 1960s. Though he never had a 1,000+ yard receiving season, Cogdill topped 900+ yards three times (remember: the NFL season used to be 14 games).

Cogdill was a Pro Bowler in three of his first four seasons in Detroit, winning NFL Rookie of the Year in 1960. He also earned 3x Second-team All-Pro honors and hung around in Detroit until 1968. He has the fifth-most receiving yards in franchise history.

  1. Brett Perriman, 1991-1996

Former Lions WR Brett Perriman was more than just a second-fiddle to stud Herman Moore (keep reading). He struggled in New Orleans over the first three years of his career and was more of a complimentary threat in Detroit from 1991-1994. In those campaigns, he peaked at 810 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Then the 1995 season happened: Perriman exploded for 1,488 yards and 9 touchdowns as a 30-year-old. He followed that up with another 1,021-yard campaign in 1996 before leaving for Kansas City.

Perriman ranks fourth in franchise history for receiving yards.

  1. Johnnie Morton, 1994-2001

Former Detroit wide receiver Johnnie Morton has a name from the 1950s but was a star in the late 1990s. He was a complementary receiver during his few seasons as a Lion before veterans Brett Perriman and Herman Moore either aged out or left town.

From 1997-2001, Morton topped the 1,000+ yard mark in four out of five seasons, as the Detroit offense tried to squeeze the last bit of juice out of veteran RB Barry Sanders. Somehow, Morton was never a Pro Bowler, but he did record the third-most receiving yards in franchise history.

  1. Herman Moore, 1991-2001

Former Lions WR Herman Moore would cruise into the #1 spot on just about every other franchise list. Why? The 3-time First-team All-Pro and 4-time Pro Bowler was a reception hog, leading the league twice and even holding the franchise single-season record with a stunning 123 in 1995.

In 1995, Moore also had a stunning 1,686 receiving yards and 14 scores, finishing fourth in the NFL Offensive Player of the Year voting. His 9,174 yards and 62 receiving touchdowns are both the second most in franchise history.

  1. Calvin Johnson, 2007-2015

Why is former Detroit WR Calvin Johnson, the man they called “Megatron,” the best Lions wide receiver of all time?

  • 3-time First Team All-Pro, 6-time Pro Bowler
  • 3-time NFL receiving yards leader
  • NFL 2010s All-Decade Team
  • Most receiving yards in a single season: 1,964 yards in 2012

Lions fans know this very well: when in doubt, throw a fade to Megatron.

Parameters of Rankings

Rankings are made based on a combination of 1) individual accomplishments, 2) team success, 3) franchise legacy, and 4) personal accolades.

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