The Detroit Lions biggest offseason need is at cornerback, and these five free agents should be on their radar.
Sometimes, change is a very good thing. When talking about the Detroit Lions cornerback depth chart inevitably wholesale changing from the 2022 to the 2023 seasons, it’s unequivocally going to be a very good thing. Amani Oruwariye, Will Harris and Mike Hughes are free agents, and all three should be gone without much question.
A deep class of cornerbacks, and having five of the first 82 picks, will give the Lions the opportunity to add via the draft. But a notable dip into free agency, or the trade market for someone like Jalen Ramsey as they linger as a possible suitor for him, is definitely in play. Practically nothing should be out of bounds when it comes to trying to add a top cornerback this offseason, but acquiring a veteran (or two) to go with an incoming rookie is within the range of possible plans.
As free agency gets closer, these five cornerbacks should be on the Lions radar.
5 free agent cornerbacks the Detroit Lions should target
5. P.J. Williams
2022 Team: New Orleans Saints
Williams had a disappointing 2022 season back with the New Orleans Saints, missing six games with just 26 total tackles and just 297 total snaps (a 40 percent rate in the games he played). He has transitioned to safety, but he has experience as a slot corner and has usually been effective in the role.
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was the Saints defensive backs coach from 2016-2020, overlapping with Williams all of those years of course. When trying to prop up Will Harris early last offseason, via SI.com, here’s what Glenn said.
"Will Harris has a lot of value, as far as a player just in general, because he’s played every position in the back end that you can imagine. I had a guy like this named P.J. Williams with the Saints, and he was just like Will. Actually, he wasn’t as good of an athlete as Will, but the one thing that he was, he was very smart,”….”At the drop of a hat, we can put him in that position that he didn’t get a lot of reps in that week."
Williams has had better years than he did last year, and even at his worst he has pretty much been better than Harris has ever been. Signing him would surely not be the only move the Lions make in free agency at cornerback, but it might be a nice buy-low start with a potential endorsement from Glenn.
4. Rock Ya-Sin
2022 Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Over his first four NFL seasons, three with the Indianapolis Colts and one with the Raiders after a trade, Ya-Sin has never quite seemed to put it all together (two interceptions in 52 career games–38 starts). But Pro Football Focus metrics have been kind to his work, and he’s hitting the market just in time for what should be a chunk of his best years (27 years old in May).
Here’s what Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus wrote, while projecting Ya-Sin to get a pretty robust for his resume $9 million a year in his free agent deal.
"Working in his favor is the fact he’s effectively the only other young, pure outside cornerback hitting the market this offseason besides Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean. Over the past two seasons, Ya-Sin’s 74.4 coverage grade when lined up out wide ranks 27th and his 70.9 coverage grade in press coverage looks ranks 23rd. Ya-Sin’s 18.2% forced incompletion percentage line up out wide ranks 19th, and his 0.67 yards per coverage snap ranks fifth.”"
The bit of trouble he’s had staying on the field is a red flag attached to Ya-Sin. But he is talented, he’s been a capable outside corner and the tutelage of former Lions’ cornerback/new Lions cornerbacks coach Dre’ Bly would seemingly benefit him a lot.
3. Cameron Sutton
2022 Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
After not playing a bunch over his first four seasons, Sutton became nearly a full time player for the Steelers over the last two seasons (31 starts–over 2,000 combined snaps). In naming him as a free agent fit for the Lions back in January, Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus honed in on Sutton’s work as highlighted by PFF’s data.
"Sutton earned a career-best 72.2 grade as a full-time starter in 2022, allowing just 0.76 yards per coverage snap, good for 11th among cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps on the season. He offers inside/outside versatility as well, though he’s been a starter on the outside the last two seasons."
According to Pro Football Reference, Sutton allowed a 47.9 percent completion rate and a 65.3 passer rating last season. Those are shutdown corner-like numbers, even within the context of benefitting from being part of a very good Pittsburgh defense. Quite simply, he was a big factor in that defense being as good as it was.
The Lions will certainly have plenty of competition for Sutton’s services, perhaps even from elsewhere in their own division. But he’s certainly worth pursuing, and he’d be higher on this list if not for who the top two are.
2. Jamel Dean
2022 Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dean is Pro Football Focus’ No.5-ranked free agent in the 2023 class. The cap-strapped Buccaneers won’t be able to bring him back at his market value, so he’s as good as gone.
A third-round pick out of Auburn in 2019, Dean has been a prominent piece of the Buccaneers’ secondary from the start and an underrated player (at least a 74.6 PFF coverage grade in each of his four seasons).
In 15 games last season he had 57 tackles (45 solo), two interceptions and eight pass breakups. Despite battling a toe issue late in the season, he posted a passer rating against of just 86.0. In 2021, he post a 50.0 opponent’s passer rating–a mark befitting of a shutdown corner.
Dean has good size (6-foot-1, 206 pounds), which he matches with aggressiveness (at times to a fault, in terms of jumping routes and ceding big plays), athleticism and physicality. He’s just the kind of corner the Lions could use as they rebuild the cornerback depth chart, and bolster a poor pass defense. He also won’t turn 27 until into next season (Oct. 15), so he could a long-term piece in Detroit.
If the Lions are going to dive into deeper end of the free agent cornerback pool, it might be for Dean.
1. Byron Murphy
2022 Team: Arizona Cardinals
Murphy missed the final eight games last season due to a foot injury. He did not register an interception in his nine games, but he did have four pass breakups, 36 total tackles, two fumble recoveries (one returned for a touchdown) and a top-50 grade (No. 46) among 118 qualified cornerbacks from Pro Football Focus. He’s also No. 43 on PFF’s top-100 2023 free agents list.
Via PFF:
"Murphy boosted his stock this season by playing primarily on the outside after splitting reps with a skew toward the slot over his first three seasons, and he earned the highest overall (66.7) and coverage (63.9) grades of his career in the process. Murphy will be 25 through the entire 2023 regular season, and his inside-outside flexibility makes him an intriguing option for a lot of teams in need of help in the secondary."
Murphy’s most broadly productive season thus far was 2021 (four interceptions, 12 pass breakups, 64 total tackles). The Cardinals would surely like to re-sign him, but as they possibly pivot to other cornerback options (James Bradberry?) he will hit the open market.
Kevin Patra of NFL.com recently matched Murphy with the Lions.
"A versatile corner, Murphy showed he can play on the outside in 2022 after thriving inside his first three seasons. A foot injury that wiped out the end of his season early could dampen Murphy’s free agency value. He’d immediately upgrade Aaron Glenn’s defense in Detroit — and his presence wouldn’t necessarily preclude the Lions from using an early draft pick on another young corner."
Murphy is a combination of young, experienced, versatile and productive, with potential untapped upside. He is also a potential free agent bargain for someone, and his list of suitors should be lengthy. The Lions should not hold back to make him an offer he might not be able to refuse.