3 inexpensive free agent cornerbacks the Detroit Lions could sign

1. Isaiah Oliver

Update (3/18/22): The Falcons have re-signed Oliver.

Oliver’s 2021 season with the Atlanta Falcons ended in October due to a knee injury. But he played in all 16 games in each of the two seasons before that, with 30 starts and 24 pass breakups over his first three seasons after being taken in the second round of the 2018 draft. In 2019 and 2020 combined, he had 132 total tackles (101 solo).

Oliver has decent size (6-foot, 210 pounds), and he has proven effective out of the slot as a run defender and blitzer despite being bigger than might be considered ideal for that role. His inability to function in coverage against faster receivers, and his lack of interceptions (one in his career, zero since his rookie season), are the easy knocks on him.

Coming off injury, and the reality that he has not matched the upside suggested by his play in college at Colorado, means Oliver is still available and he won’t be expensive to sign. That lingering perception of physical tools that give him untapped upside looks like something Aaron Glenn and Aubrey Pleasant can work with.