Oct 28, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions cornerback Bill Bentley (28) before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

When the Detroit Lions finally get started with training camp in a couple of months one of the hottest position battles figures to be at cornerback. The only sure thing is that Chris Houston will be one of the starters when the season begins but how things shake out after that is a big mystery.

Just how clouded is the Lions situation at cornerback? Things are so up in the air that DetroitLions.com lead writer Tim Twentyman listed the cornerback position as both the number one and number two position battle on defense in his article today.

The position figured to be one of the more interesting positions battles to watch even before the draft that added Darius Slay to the mix. Bill Bentley won a starting job out of training camp a year ago but his season was cut short by a shoulder injury. Jonte Green was the last of three corners drafted by the Lions in 2012 but showed good progress throughout the season while Chris Greenwood spent the year on PUP/IR but was drafted as a developmental prospect with impressive physical tools.

After the Lions were able to re-sign Houston I felt that the Lions need at cornerback was mostly overblown by the national media considering the three corners drafted a year ago. But while the Lions bypassed Dee Milliner in the first round they didn’t pass up an opportunity to take Darius Slay in the second – a near perfect fit for the bigger/faster/stronger profile the Lions are looking for in a corner.

What the selection of Slay tell me? It tells me they see him as as superior option to the three corners drafted a year ago. The battle for playing time will take place over training camp but it would appear the smart bet is that Slay wins the job opposite Chris Houston. Still, Bentley is somewhat of an incumbent and proved his mettle during training camp a year ago.

That settles one battle but brings on another: the nickel back. The “loser” of what will likely be a Slay-Bentley battle for the number two corner spot has to be seen as the favorite to start the season as the primary nickel back.

How do you see this situation playing out?

Photo Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Today we take a look at how the Detroit Lions cornerbacks performed during the 2012 season with a little help from the fine folks at Pro Football Focus.

The radar chart below shows the Pro Football Focus grades for each Lions cornerback and compares them to the best, worst and league average ratings. PFF grades each player on each play to produce a massively useful tool for evaluating the totality of a player’s season compared to others at his position.

2012 Season Review
When it comes to Detroit Lions’ cornerback performances in 2012 there was Chris Houston and there was everyone else. Houston graded out as +3.1 in coverage and +3.4 against the run by Pro Football Focus to help him towards an overall rating of +7.4, that was good enough for 23rd best league-wide. In essence, it backs up the popular opinion of Houston; he’s a solid corner that might be better suited as a number two on a good team. He may not be a shutdown corner, if those even exist any more, but he was an asset to the Lions in 2012.

Jonte Green was the last of the three corners selected by the Lions in the 2012 draft but he wound up having the biggest impact as a rookie. He wasn’t spectacular but wasn’t bad on the whole either. All told, PFF rated him as an overall 0.0 (57th best) with modest positive results in coverage and run support but he gave back those gains after accounting for penalties. Rough outings against the Arizona Cardinals (-1.7) and Atlanta Falcons (-1.6) kept Green from having an even more respectable rookie season.

Jacob Lacey got off to a rough start with the Lions with four negatively rated games in the first five overall but was able to turn things around before ultimately landing on injured reserve. As a low cost guy that performed near average level, the Lions got what they paid for.

The only other Lions cornerback to qualify for PFF’s overall ratings board by playing at least 25% of his team’s snaps was Drayton Florence. After two modestly positive games, Florece went on IR with a broken arm and wasn’t the same player when he returned. By the time the season was over he had accumulated a -5.1 rating in which he rated out as a negative against the run and in coverage. With a bevvy of younger options, Florence’s time in Detroit is probably done.

Offseason Plan
The Detroit Lions enter another offseason with apparent needs at cornerback but I’m not convinced major changes are, or even should be, in store. Retaining Chris Houston should be a priority (a huge key for the offseason) and the Lions still have the three cornerbacks they drafted last year to develop. Bill Bentley showed some promise before getting hurt, Jonte Green improved throughout the season and Chris Greenwood was drafted as a project anyway. The Lions took a flier on Ron Bartell (+1.6 in one game with Lions) late in the season and he is currently signed for next season. That gives the team four cornerbacks to battle for playing time and position on the depth chart behind Houston who will hopefully be re-signed. Short on cash, the Lions will once again have to rely on competition bringing out the best in what they have. Jacob Lacey is still young and showed improvement for the Lions after settling in to the point that bringing him back to at least compete in camp wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.

But that doesn’t mean the Lions should stand pat, either. If there is a value play to be made in the draft, make it. There isn’t much clarity to how this cornerback class will shake out. Dee Milliner is widely regarded as the top corner in the draft but the Lions can likely get better value with the fifth overall pick. The value might shift in the Lions favor come the second round should Xavier Rhodes, Desmond Trufant or Johnthan Banks be available.

The Lions could also look to add a veteran free agent, just don’t expect it to be a trade for Darrelle Revis. One name to keep an eye on in free agency is Sean Smith. At 6’3″ and 218 pounds, he more than fits the big corner profile the Lions are looking for. He rated out as a -3.6 by Pro Football Focus but he had a solid start to the season that fell off in the second half. It added up to a second-straight negative season rating but Smith was solidly positive in his first two professional seasons with the Miami Dolphins.

Previously: Wide Receivers, Offensive Tackles, Guards, Center, Tight Ends, Quarterback, Running Backs, Outside Linebackers, Inside Linebacker, Safeties

*Those that have been around the Detroit Lions blogosphere for a while may recognize the approach presented as similar to Ty Schalter’s ‘Old Mother Hubbard’ series on The Lions in Winter. Don’t worry, he’s cool with what I’m doing here and has assured me that he’ll be back with Old Mother Hubbard later in the offseason.

November 22, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions player Riley Reiff (71) during player introductions prior to a game against the Houston Texans at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

What might that mean for each player?

Riley Reiff - If Schwartz’s comment is to be related down to the individual level with Riley Reiff that can only mean he expects Reiff to hold a starting job somewhere on the Lions’ offensive line next year. Where that could be is up in the air as it depends on the route the Lions choose to go in addressing their needs there. There is no doubt that the Lions drafted Reiff to be their left tackle of the future but there is doubt whether they would run Jeff Backus out of town to see it happen in 2013. With Gosder Cherilus set to become a free agent, right tackle seems to be the more likely destination for Reiff next year.

Ryan Broyles - It’s not hard to see an increased role for Ryan Broyles. He was becoming a productive receiver after fully healing from the ACL tear he suffered at Oklahoma and gaining a level of comfort in the Lions’ offense. He showed a knack for finding open spaces in the opposing secondary and really only needs to stay healthy to give the Lions what they need in 2013.

Bill Bentley - Injury cut Bentley’s season short, which is too bad considering he was already on track to be a significant contributor to the Lions’ efforts in 2012. He will be back healthy next year and has to be penciled in as a starting corner at this point.

Ronnell Lewis - The biggest disappointment of the 2012 draft class may have been Ronnell Lewis who spent much of the year as a game day inactive. 2013 represents a huge opportunity for Lewis. Changes may be afoot at defensive end for the Lions but Lewis may first have to prove that he can be an asset on punt and kick coverage units.

Tahir Whitehead - With both starting outside linebackers eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason, Tahir Whitehead could be the beneficiary of some roster turnover. It’s hard to say if the Lions could feel comfortable if they need to count on him in a big role on defense but there was obviously something they liked when they sent a 2013 fourth round pick to the Vikings to take Whitehead in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. Perhaps he slides up the depth chart into the spot held by Ashlee Palmer this past year.

Chris Greenwood - If there is a player on this list that is poised to make a huge jump in contribution level it is probably Chris Greenwood. That might be a year early, Greenwood was a developmental prospect and the year on the PUP/IR list didn’t do as much for his development as a healthy year would have,  but Gunther Cunningham has said he is used to having more size in the secondary and Greenwood has that. With his combination of size and athleticism, He could be in good position to find a way to contribute next year, even if it as a fourth cornerback.

Oct 14, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Detroit Lions cornerback Jonte Green (36) after playing the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Lions defeated the Eagles 26-23 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Jonte Green - It would be easy to see Jonte Green as the “other” guy as the third and final cornerback in the 2012 draft class but being able to stay healthy put him in position for a lot of playing time.  Green contributed more in 2012 than probably anyone envisioned he would so it is hard to see the Lions counting on him for more in 2013. They could be in trouble if they do.

Travis Lewis - Like Tahir Whitehead, Travis Lewis could see himself with an increased role as a result of roster upheaval at outside linebacker. He wasn’t picked until the seventh round but he was projected to go much higher after a very productive college career.