Did the Detroit Lions land a starter in the fifth round?

Despite ignoring the position until the fifth round, the Detroit Lions may have found themselves a starting cornerback on Day Three of the draft.

Going into the 2019 NFL Draft, cornerback figured to be a priority for the Detroit Lions. Despite signing both veterans Justin Coleman and Rashaan Melvin in free agency, the Lions knew they could still have used a young prospect to develop into a possible starter to play outside opposite two-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay.

Yet, through the first four rounds of the draft, the Lions ignored the position completely. Instead, drafting tight end T.J. Hockenson, linebacker Jahlani Tavai, safety Will Harris, and defensive end Austin Bryant. It seemed unlikely Detroit would find a cornerback who could compete for the starting role as a rookie midway through Day Three.

But Detroit might have done just that with the selection of Penn State cornerback Amani Oruwariye 184th overall in the fifth round of the draft. A prospect that experts over at The Draft Network raved over, calling him a starting NFL cornerback and a possible first round-level talent, Oruwariye inexplicably fell all the way to the fifth round.

The knocks on Oruwariye? A lack of experience as a one-year starter at Penn State, questionable make-up speed and being very scheme dependent. But the 6-foot-2, 205-pounder is a physical corner best utilized in press coverage who is also a bit of a ballhawk, racking up 18 pass defends and seven interceptions in his last two seasons.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press gave the Oruwariye selection his highest grade (A-minus) of all the Motor City picks made in the 2019 draft. Here’s Birkett’s explanation as to why.

"“The Lions needed help for their secondary and Oruwariye has the size and athletic traits to make an impact down the line. He has lots of development ahead, but his arrival could spell the end of the Teez Tabor experiment.”"

Pro Football Focus labeled Oruwariye the possible steal of the draft, highlighting his excellent performance at the Senior Bowl and his solid production the last two seasons at Penn State.

Although Detroit Lions’ general manager Bob Quinn is not ready to label any rookie a starter, he did admit that could change very quickly during his final draft press conference. So it’s not hard to imagine a situation where Oruwariye is able to claim the starting role opposite Darius Slay in Detroit this summer. Talk about a steal.

For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.