Janoris Jenkins surfaces as experienced cornerback option for the Lions

Janoris Jenkins is now available, and in many ways he looks like a nice fit for the Detroit Lions.

As the Tennessee Titans make some moves to clear cap space, Janoris Jenkins became a financial casualty on Tuesday morning accordin to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 33-year old cornerback will now hit the market after just one year in Tennessee.

In 14 games for the Titans last season, Jenkins had 54 total tackles (38 solo) with one interception and six passed defensed.

Jenkins immediately became a solid starter when the Rams drafted him 2012. He signed with the New York Giants in 2016, and earned his his lone career Pro Bowl selection in his first season there. The Giants traded him to the New Orleans Saints during the 2019 season, and he spent the 2020 campaign there.

Janoris Jenkins would bring a dose of experience to the Lions’ CB group

Amani Oruwariye had a breakout season in 2021, with six interceptions. But the rest of the Lions’ defense had five total interceptions, and just one of those came from a cornerback (AJ Parker). Help is clearly needed.

During his time in New Orleans, Jenkins had Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn as his defensive backs coach. In that full season together (2020), “Jackrabbit” had three interceptions (including one he returned for a touchdown) and he allowed an 81.8 passer rating his coverage.

Jenkins is not the high-end shutdown corner he once was (100.2 passer rating allowed last season), but his Pro Football Focus grade remained solid in 2021 (65.4) and he’s a reliable tackler. He’s certainly better than anyone the Lions trotted out last season at cornerback besides Oruwariye, even (to use baseball parlance) now entering his age-34 season in 2022.

Depending on his asking price, and what he can actually get on the market, Jenkins looks like a very good fit for the Lions. If he wants to reunite with Glenn, there should be a chance to get it done.