Cornerback is the new defensive end, at least as far as the Detroit Lions’ roster needs go.
After finally answering the clamoring for an edge rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions’ biggest hole on defense – at least with Terrion Arnold’s future in flux following his arrest Wednesday, June 24, on four counts of kidnapping and four counts of armed robbery – has shifted to the secondary and a cornerback position they did little to upgrade this offseason.
Arnold, the Lions’ first-round pick in 2024, started 22 of a possible 34 games the past two seasons and was expected to compete for a starting job again this fall.
He underwent shoulder surgery in December, operated under the cloud of a potential arrest since February, practiced sparingly this spring during rehab and was relegated mostly to second-team reps when he was on the field.
Lions coach Dan Campbell said last week Arnold still had the chance to “go earn” his starting job back once healthy, and while that seems insignificant in light of the life-altering situation he finds himself in now, Arnold’s potential absence still hits the Lions where it hurts.
All offseason, Campbell has worked to build depth and breed competition on his roster, and the cornerback room looks light in both areas a month before training camp.
D.J. Reed is a starter. Rock Ya-Sin is the favorite for the No. 2 job. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. could push for playing time if he stays healthy. The Lions signed free agent Roger McCreary and drafted rookie Keith Abney to play the slot. Special teams ace Khalil Dorsey and the well-traveled Nick Whiteside are among others vying for backup jobs.
And everyone in the room comes shrouded in questions.
“That’s what Dan talked about early on, especially with us, is to bring competition,” Lions defensive pass game coordinator Deshea Townsend said last week. “That’s the most important thing that we can have is guys competing, hungry, ready to go earn a spot and I think that’s the depth that we have, we’re able to do that. And we all believe that that makes you a better team, that makes you a better unit and keeps everybody hungry and working at practice and that’s what it’s going to take to get us over that hump.”
The Lions need a reliable secondary to not just get over the hump and make the playoffs after a one-year absence but contend for the Super Bowl again.
Reed is the most reliable cornerback on the roster. He’s soft-spoken and on the small side (listed at 5 feet 9 and 190 pounds), but he played with poise and tenacity before pulling his hamstring in Week 4 last season.
Reed missed six games with the injury, and when he returned to the lineup in late November, he never quite looked like himself. He did not create a turnover in his seven games post-injury and had more than half of his pass breakups (four of seven) in the first four weeks of the season.
Townsend said Reed has been healthy this spring and seems poised for a bounceback year.
“The way that he’s able to move, you see his speed back, you see him changing direction and all those things,” Townsend said. “He’s back to kind of where we saw on the Jets film [from before he signed with the Lions and where he was] pre-injury ’cause before he got hurt during the season, he was playing at a very high level. So just a sight to have him back, especially for him, the mentality that he is healthy. I know he feels that way, so that’s important.”
Townsend shared thoughts on the rest of the Lions cornerbacks who’ll vie for time this summer while Arnold tends to the legal issues threatening his career. Here’s what the third-year Lions assistant had to say about the rest of his cornerback room:
On Ya-Sin, who made six starts for the Lions last season and adds a physical presence to the group: “It’s tough to find bodies to go out there and actually do what we ask those guys to do and Rock came in and did an excellent job [last year]. But that’s who he is, he’s a pro. He’s diligent, he works the right way. I wouldn’t expect anything less and I’m so happy to have him back because I thought for us to get him back, that was a good move for us to get a player like that with the ability to play and the experience that he has and the type of leader he is was good for our room.”
On Rakestraw, a second-round pick in 2024 who has played just 46 defensive snaps his first two seasons because of injury: “The role is there for him if he can stay healthy. But his body has changed. You can see physically how much mass and strength he’s put in the shoulder and neck area, which is important. Just staying healthy, that’s going to be big for him but his body most definitely looks different.”
On McCreary, a former second-round pick who signed with the Lions after splitting time with the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams last season: “Just a vet. … His strong suit is playing man and that’s what we need. He’s given us another competitive piece that’s inside and he also can play outside. That’s what he was drafted to do at Tennessee, so he’s a capable veteran that’s going to push the entire room.”
On Abney, a fifth-round pick who had six interceptions in three seasons at Arizona State: “The thing that impresses me the most is the mental side. Like he has picked up a lot of things and he’s able to take it from the classroom to the field which is really important for a young player. And it’s been impressive to see him handle that role and the way that he’s handled it. But inside is probably better suited for him, but he’s smart enough to play outside as well. So I’m excited to see him compete.”
On Whiteside, who played in nine games as a backup when the Lions struggled with injuries in their secondary last year: “it’s just the depth. Like, you’ve got guys that have played in games and that’s what you want. It’s not like you’re guessing on what you’re getting. You know what you’re going to get from those guys and so another year in the system, another year competing, he’s going to be better and just that’s the thing about the NFL, you got to have guys who go out there and compete and he’s another one that’s capable of playing and it’s going to push everybody else in the room.”
Dave Birkett covers the Lions for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions thin at CB, open for competition after Terrion Arnold arrest
Reporting by Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
