With another NFL draft behind us, fans are hoping their team drafted a player who will turn their franchise around or is that missing piece that gets them to the Super Bowl.  As a life-long Detroit Lions fan, I have gone through this far too many times.  I have seen the great Billy Sims, the even greater Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, to name just a few, get drafted by the Lions.  However, when I looked at the long history of the Lions, I saw one draft pick in particular who in my opinion had the biggest impact on the team, kicker Jason Hanson.

Believe it or not, Hanson was a second-round pick by the Lions in the 1992 draft.  Yes, that is a second round for a kicker.  Kickers are rarely, if ever, early draft picks.  In fact, if a team uses a first-round pick on a kicker, they’re often criticized for wasting their selection.  Also, kickers are usually the “odd person out” on the team and they usually keep to themselves on the sidelines.  However, this position carries with it an ever-changing flow of emotion in a short period of time.  They can be the hero for hitting the game winning 45-yard field goal or they can cost their team a win by missing one.  Let’s be honest, you probably have no idea who the kicker is on your favorite team until one of those scenarios happens.

Let’s take a look at a second-round vs. a first round selection:

Jason Hanson (2^nd Round), kicker

• • Years played with Detroit: 21
  • Points scored: 2,150 (First player to score 2000 points with one team)
  • Game winning field goals: 9 (Tied with only four other kickers)
  • Two-time Pro Bowl Member

Calvin Johnson (1^st Round), wide receiver

• • Years played with Detroit: 9
  • Points scored: 510
  • Single season reception record: 1964
  • Six Time Pro Bowl
  • Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Before you jump up and down stating that this is not a fair comparison, you are correct.  However, if I was to look at this from a business perspective my return on investment went further with the kicker than the wide receiver.  Both of the players were great in their own right, but when you look at the overall long-term impact on the Lion’s franchise, I would argue that Jason Hanson was a better pick and investment.  So, for a good long-term investment, go with that kicker in the first round.

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