“I thought I was going to the Raiders” Lions legend Calvin Johnson surprisingly reveals Detroit was never his No. 1 destination in the 2007 NFL Draft
Calvin Johnson didn't have Detroit Lions in his list of possible destinations.
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Calvin Johnson (Image via The Draft Wire)
Calvin Johnson is widely considered one of the best wide receivers of all time in the NFL. His size, speed, and catching ability made him a nightmare for defense because it was impossible to cover him and even if he was covered by two or three secondaries, Johnson would still find a way to get a hold of the ball. The Hall of Fame wideout played his entire career for the Detroit Lions and is a legend for the fans.
Johnson was selected second overall by the Lions in the 2007 NFL draft but the 6 foot 5 Georgia Tech alum didn’t have the team on his list of potential landing. On a recent episode of Richard Sherman’s podcast, Megatron said he never thought he would end up in Detroit. Johnson said, “Honestly I thought I was going to the Raiders. I was literally getting my mind around on living on the west coast. I had no idea I would be in the midwest. I was gonna be in west coast, I was gonna be in Tampa or Atlanta. Those were my places I was gonna end up.”
The superstar wide receiver said that he had a great conversation with the Raiders before the draft and was sure he was going to end up in Oakland. However, the Raiders used their first overall pick to draft quarterback JaMarcus Russell who came was touted to be the best signal-caller in the draft. Unfortunately for the Raiders, Russell turned out to be the biggest bust in NFL history and thankfully the Lions grabbed the best wide receiver who was going to dominate the league.
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Calvin Johnson was one of a kind talent during his time in the league
Calvin Johnson was one of the best wide receivers during his nine seasons in the league with the Lions. He set up many records and won many accolades and made his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021. In the nine-season he played, Megatron had seven 1000 yards seasons. He ended his illustrious career with 731 receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns.
The number of records under Johnson’s belt is — 2× NFL receiving yards leader (2011, 2012), NFL receptions leader (2012), and NFL receiving touchdowns co-leader (2008). He also set the record for most receiving yards in a single season (1,964) which is yet to be broken. For his continued domination in the league, Calvin Johnson was named to Detroit Lions All-Time Team.
Just imagine if the Raiders had picked Johnson instead of Russell first overall in the draft. Things would be a lot different right now but there is no doubt Johnson would still have ended up in the Hall of Fame as one of the best wide receivers to step on the gridiron.
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Yash Karandekar
(1023 Articles Published)