As they look for free agent cornerbacks who won’t require breaking the bank, these three make real sense for the Detroit Lions.
The Detroit Lions have Amani Oruwariye (six interceptions in 2021) and little else at cornerback. Injuries didn’t help last season, and 2020 No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah seems to be making good progress from his Week 1 Achilles tear last season. But make no mistake, 2022 is a make-or-break season for Okudah and simply being healthy will be a start.
The draft will yield some interesting options, but in today’s NFL you can’t have enough good corners. In some respect, a veteran with a lot of experience might be a better fit than a green rookie.
As former first-round pick cornerback Jeff Gladney made a visit to the Arizona Cardinals, Chris Burke of The Athletic passed along that the Lions could have interest too.
Scratch that one. Looks like Arizona didn't let him get out of town without a deal. A sign that the Lions are still looking at cornerbacks, though.
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) March 16, 2022
Gladney signed with the Cardinals, but as Burke indicated any level of interest in him shows the Lions are looking at free agent cornerbacks. And based on a lack of activity on the open market, it’s safe to assume they won’t be willing to pony up a lot of money to add someone (or maybe even multiple someones).
Even with that in mind, there are some options out there in the lower end of the market at cornerback and all is not lost. Here are three the Lions could sign.