No doubt, the Detroit Lions cornerback play was a fairly large disappointment in 2025. The query transferring ahead is: what ought to they do about it? Can the Lions’ inner choices take a giant step in 2026, or is it time for one more spherical of investments on the place?
Let’s discover in our position-by-position Lions offseason preview.
Lions 2025 recap: Cornerback
It was a disappointing 12 months for the Lions cornerback room, and it began with accidents. First, the Lions misplaced 2024 second-round choose Ennis Rakestraw to a season-ending coaching camp harm. Then Reed went down with a severe hamstring harm that landed him on IR after simply 4 video games. Reed was enjoying properly earlier than the harm, however was inconsistent upon his return. He nonetheless matches the invoice as a robust run defender that may play some man, but it surely’s honest to say his first 12 months in Detroit didn’t go as hoped.
For Arnold, it was the same end result. After a very robust coaching camp, Arnold got here out of the gate with some acquainted struggles. However simply because it appeared like he was beginning to flip issues round—posting a 67.6 and 90.3 protection grade in opposition to the Vikings and Commanders, respectively—Arnold suffered a shoulder harm that might ultimately finish his season after simply eight video games.
Even Amik Robertson, who had a implausible 2024 season, took a little bit of a step again. He wasn’t as dangerous as his PFF grades recommend and he nonetheless stay one among Detroit’s extra dependable inside/exterior choices at cornerback, however there have been video games he appeared uncharacteristically overwhelmed this 12 months.
Unexpectedly, Ya-Sin could have been Detroit’s finest depth possibility. The veteran cornerback ended up enjoying at the least 10 defensive snaps in 11 video games final 12 months, and for the season, PFF credited him with simply 26 catches on 49 targets for 276 yards, one landing, and a meager 76.6 passer score when focused.
Presently beneath contract:
Whereas the Lions might actually get some exterior assist in each free company and the NFL Draft, I believe that is the 12 months Detroit wants the gamers they already should step up. With restricted offseason sources obtainable and holes at different roster positions, Detroit in all probability can’t afford to spend wildly at cornerback—and so they shoudn’t.
The Lions have spent years beneath Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes attempting to repair the cornerback room. They spent massive on each Reed and Cam Sutton. They drafted Arnold within the first spherical, and Rakestraw within the second. They traded for Carlton Davis. It’s time for at the least a kind of investments to repay. Sooner or later they want younger, low cost expertise to take over as they flip the web page on growing old, costly contracts.
Arnold and/or Rakestraw should emerge as not solely starting-level expertise, however nice expertise. Reed must dwell as much as his costly contract and present that Detroit shouldn’t remorse letting Davis stroll.
Don’t get me improper, the Lions could be smart to proceed to construct out their depth. Re-signing Ya-Sin is a no brainer, and if they will discover a cheap quantity to maintain Robertson, he’s implausible depth at each exterior and nickel. It’d be exhausting to persuade me the Lions ought to draft a cornerback early, but when they wished to put money into the middle-to-late rounds, Detroit might use some developmental depth.
However Detroit’s finest resolution to fixing their cornerback points is already in-house. Getting the best possible out of Arnold, Rakestraw, and Reed ought to be a main focus for the Lions’ teaching workers, and in the event that they fail to take action in 2026, the whole lot is on the desk in 2027.
