What if the Detroit Lions never drafted Calvin Johnson? It’s a nightmare scenario for fans — and one that Pro Football Focus decided to explore in their latest twist on NFL history.
In a 2007 NFL Re-Draft conducted by Max Chadwick, Dalton Wasserman, and Trevor Sikkema, PFF rewrote history by sending the Hall of Fame wide receiver to the Oakland Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick. That meant Detroit had to pivot at No. 2 — and in this alternate timeline, they landed another future Hall of Famer: offensive tackle Joe Thomas out of Wisconsin.
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The Lions Still Land a Legend — Just Not Megatron
In reality, the Lions struck gold by taking Calvin Johnson out of Georgia Tech in 2007. “Megatron” would go on to become one of the most dominant wide receivers the game has ever seen, racking up over 11,000 yards and earning enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But in this re-draft, Oakland doesn’t go with JaMarcus Russell. Instead, they snag Johnson, forcing Detroit to go with a different gold jacket.
“Detroit did well originally to draft Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson, but they are forced to secure a different inductee in this scenario,” PFF wrote.
“Left tackle Joe Thomas was a first-team All-Pro in six of his 11 NFL seasons. He finished his career with a 95.9 PFF pass-blocking grade while never earning a sub-81.7 mark in that department in a season. He was also an ironman, playing an NFL-record 10,363 career snaps.”
Thomas Would’ve Solved Detroit’s Offensive Line for a Decade
No one’s questioning Joe Thomas’ credentials — the guy was a rock for Cleveland, even when the rest of the franchise was crumbling. The idea of plugging Thomas into the Lions’ offensive line in 2007 and not worrying about left tackle until the late 2010s? That’s pretty appealing.
But let’s be honest: Calvin Johnson was special, and his presence in Detroit meant more than stats. He was a face-of-the-franchise player who made the Lions relevant, electrifying, and watchable during some pretty lean years.
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The Bottom Line
In this alternate NFL reality, the Lions still get a Hall of Famer — just not the one who defined an era. Sure, Joe Thomas would’ve been great, but for most Lions fans, there’s only one right answer in the 2007 draft: Megatron.