Detroit Lions: 30 Best Draft Picks in Team History
By Eli Kaplan
11. Roger Brown (defensive lineman) – It wouldn’t be a fearsome foursome if Alex Karras did all the work by himself. The other defensive tackle lining up next to him did more than shoulder the load. Roger Brown was an equally (if not more so) disruptive force along the Detroit Lions defensive line in the 1960’s. Brown was a large, explosive player that wreaked havoc wherever, and against whomever, he played.
Brown knew plenty about “fearsome foursomes”, as he was integral to the foursomes of both the Lions, and later the Los Angeles Rams – along with Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, and Lamar Lundy (though he has gone on record before to say that the Lions had the original “fearsome foursome”).
The Lions selected Brown with the 42nd overall pick (4th round) in the 1960 NFL draft. Brown played with the Lions from 1960-1966, before joining the Los Angeles Rams from 1967-1969.
Brown was the NFL’s first player to play over 300 pounds, and his unique combination of size, strength, speed, and skill allowed him to earn six NFL pro bowl selections.
In 1962, Brown was named the most Outstanding Defensive Lineman in the NFL. His retirement from the NFL gave opposing offenses reason to breathe a bit easier, but Lions fans find it difficult to forget the impact he had on the game.
Next: Number 10