2015 DETROIT LIONS MEDIA GUIDE
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acquisition, WR Golden Tate, also did not disappoint<br />
as he became a Pro Bowler for the first time in<br />
his career during his first season with the Lions.<br />
Also included in the group was S Glover Quin, who<br />
became the first Lions Pro Bowl safety since S<br />
Bennie Blades in 1992. WR Calvin Johnson and DT<br />
Ndamukong Suh rounded out the Lions Pro Bowlers<br />
as they were selected for the fifth and fourth time,<br />
respectively.<br />
Since assuming the organization’s top football<br />
position in October, 2008, Mayhew has completed<br />
32 trades involving veteran players and draft<br />
picks. One of those trades, completed in March<br />
<strong>2015</strong>, acquired All-Pro DT Haloti Ngata from the<br />
Baltimore Ravens to anchor the team’s interior<br />
defensive line. Two of Mayhew’s trades generated<br />
additional first-round draft picks in 2009 and 2010.<br />
It marked the first time in franchise history that the<br />
Lions have made two selections in the first round<br />
of the draft in back-to-back seasons.<br />
Neither free agency nor the draft is ever the finish<br />
line for Mayhew as he continues to seek an upgrade<br />
in talent by any means to develop and improve the<br />
team’s roster. Last year, the Lions signed K Matt<br />
Prater in October to take over the team’s field goal<br />
kicking duties, and Prater finished the season tying<br />
for the seventh-most field goals (21) in the NFL over<br />
the last 12 weeks and he connected on two fourth<br />
quarter game-winning kicks.<br />
BUILDING THE CORE<br />
Mayhew understands the best rosters in the NFL<br />
begin with successful drafts.<br />
While each of his personnel decisions will impact<br />
the team’s performance, it may be Mayhew’s very<br />
first draft choice as general manager that could<br />
have the greatest long-term impact. That selection,<br />
QB Matthew Stafford, has produced at a level the<br />
past four seasons that is unrivaled in the history<br />
of the franchise.<br />
Stafford had one of the biggest breakout<br />
seasons in 2011 when he set franchise passing<br />
records for yards (5,038) and touchdowns (41). He<br />
led the team to several comeback wins, including<br />
an NFL record three wins after trailing by 17+<br />
points, four after trailing by 13+ points and two<br />
20+-point comebacks in back-to-back-weeks. His<br />
performance earned him the 2011 AP Comeback<br />
Player of the Year award.<br />
In his six seasons, Stafford has claimed the<br />
team’s career, season and single-game passing<br />
records in nearly every category. He is just one<br />
of three players in NFL history to throw for 4,000<br />
yards four times in his first six career seasons, and<br />
he reached 20,000 career passing yards faster (71<br />
games) than any player in NFL history. He is also<br />
the fourth-fastest player to throw for 100 career<br />
touchdowns (55 games). Additionally, Stafford<br />
now owns the team’s franchise record with 65<br />
consecutive starts (67 including postseason) by<br />
a quarterback.<br />
Despite the fact that he will play in his sixth NFL<br />
season, Stafford is still just 27-years old heading<br />
into the <strong>2015</strong> season.<br />
Along with Stafford, Mayhew’s first draft<br />
also produced two other starters in TE Brandon<br />
Pettigrew and LB DeAndre Levy, who both signed<br />
long-term contract extensions over the past three<br />
seasons. Pettigrew owns several single-season<br />
receiving records by Lions tight ends. Levy broke<br />
out in 2013 with six interceptions, the most by a<br />
Lions linebacker since Hall of Fame LB Joe Schmidt<br />
in 1958, and he followed that season up with a<br />
stellar 2014 campaign when he finished second in<br />
<strong>DETROIT</strong> <strong>LIONS</strong><br />
the NFL in tackles (151) and registered the most<br />
solo tackles (117) in the League.<br />
Mayhew drafted four-time Pro Bowl and twotime<br />
All-Pro DT Ndamukong Suh in his second draft<br />
in 2010. Suh anchored the defensive line for five<br />
seasons before departing via free agency.<br />
The Lions’ first-round draft pick in 2012, T Riley<br />
Reiff, has moved right into the left tackle spot<br />
following the retirement of 12-year veteran Jeff<br />
Backus. He anchors the team’s left side of the<br />
offensive line and is now one of the pillars of a<br />
young, aggressive offensive line. Along with Reiff,<br />
second-rounder WR Ryan Broyles still seeks to<br />
bolster the receiver position after injuries slowed<br />
him down early in his career.<br />
Universally touted as the team’s best draft class<br />
under Mayhew, the 2013 class produced several<br />
starters and key contributors throughout the draft<br />
and via the undrafted free agents. Ten members of<br />
that class will start or compete for roster positions<br />
to provide depth on this year’s team.<br />
Taken fifth overall, DE Ezekiel Ansah has<br />
totaled 15.5 sacks in his first two season, and he<br />
will continue to force the edge at defensive end.<br />
Second-round CB Darius Slay took a big step in<br />
year two at the corner position to help elevate the<br />
Lions defense to one of the top units in the NFL. He<br />
finished in the top-10 in pass defenses (17) in the<br />
NFL. In Round 3, Detroit drafted G Larry Warford to<br />
help anchor the team’s interior offensive line at the<br />
right guard position. Warford was named Rookie of<br />
the Year by Pro Football Focus as well as all-rookie<br />
by several publications. In the fifth round, the team<br />
traded up to select P Sam Martin, who not only set<br />
the team’s single-season net punting record (40.4)<br />
but also has the second-highest tally by a rookie<br />
in NFL history. Martin also contributed greatly on<br />
kickoffs, registering 38 touchbacks. Martin has<br />
accumulated the third highest punting average<br />
(46.7) and net punting average (40.3) in NFL history<br />
by a punter through his first two seasons.<br />
Solidifying the strength of this class were the<br />
signings of TE Joseph Fauria and T LaAdrian<br />
Waddle as undrafted free agents. Fauria caught<br />
seven touchdown passes, the second-most in a<br />
season by a Lions tight end. Waddle made the<br />
roster and started eight of the last nine games<br />
as a rookie and 10 games during his second year<br />
despite battling injuries.<br />
Seven draft picks from the 2014 class will<br />
complete for starting spots or back up roles this<br />
season, including TE Eric Ebron, LB Kyle Van Noy,<br />
C Travis Swanson, CB Nevin Lawson, DE Larry<br />
Webster, DT Caraun Reid and WR TJ Jones. Joining<br />
that class are undrafted free agents T Cornelius<br />
Lucas and S Mohammed Seisay, who each played<br />
in at least 13 games last year as rookies.<br />
STRENGTHENING POSITIONS<br />
Mayhew maximizes his resources in an effort<br />
to not only strengthen the team by improving<br />
individual talent, but also by strengthening each<br />
position unit from top to bottom. Instead of just<br />
featuring a few standout players, this team now<br />
moves forward with deep, talented position<br />
groups.<br />
Offensively, wide receiver and tight end have<br />
become positions of strength and a critical<br />
complement to Stafford at quarterback.<br />
Leading the receivers is All-Pro WR Calvin<br />
Johnson, who is a four-time Pro Bowl selection.<br />
After signing a new eight-year contract in March<br />
2012, Johnson is now entering his eighth year with<br />
the club. He combines unparalleled athletic ability<br />
EXECUTIVES AND COACHING
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