Best Lions Defensive Backs

The best defensive back in Lions history is Lem Barney (1960s), rated 86 out of 100 — just ahead of Dick LeBeau and Yale Lary. Below, all 12 ranked, spanning 1960s–2020s.

These are all-era rankings with no cutoff year: a Lions defensive back from the 1960s is rated on the same scale as one playing today, which is why this list looks different from rankings that only go back to the modern era. The ratings are the same ones that power 17-0, the free game where you draft a roster of all-time greats and sim whether it goes a perfect 17-0 season.