3 inexpensive free agent cornerbacks the Detroit Lions could sign

2. Donte Deayon

Deayon, coming from the Los Angeles Rams, as a tie to Lions defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant, who was the Rams’ cornerbacks coach from 2017-2020.

Deayon saw the most action of his career last season, playing in 10 games (with one start) and seeing 461 defensive snaps. He posted solid Pro Football Focus grades (68.3 coverage grade, 68.0 overall grade), with 29 total tackles (24 solo) and two passes defensed. He barely played during the Rams’ run to a Super Bowl win, with 31 defensive snaps in the Wild Card Round and two thereafter as he didn’t play in two of the playoff games, but that’s not

Deayon is the kind of underdog story, as an undrafted signed by the New York Giants in 2016 to bouncing on and off the Giants’ practice squad and on the periphery of the Rams’ roster before sticking last season, that will appeal to Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell.

Deayon is small (5-foot-9, 159 pounds) and best-suited as a slot corner. But slot corners are valuable and important players in the league, and he seems to not be afraid to mix it up as a run defender. Pleasant’s familiarity could drive interest here.