Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold’s name has been in the news lately surrounding some alleged ties to a robbery that has produced six arrests so far.
And though the Lions don’t seem to think Arnold will be charged with anything or miss time, it’s worth reexamining the state of that unit as a whole—just in case.
Let’s take a look at the Lions’ cornerbacks to see where they stand just a few weeks out from the 2026 NFL draft.
Lions' cornerback room depth ahead of 2026 NFL Draft
If everything turns out fine with Arnold’s situation, he will almost certainly begin the year as one of Detroit’s top two corners opposite D.J. Reed.
Though he’s become an oft-maligned figure within the Lions fanbase for some perceived struggles in man coverage and committing pass interference penalties, Arnold was showing signs of improvement later in 2025 before a shoulder injury ended his season on Thanksgiving.
Reed, the Lions’ big ticket free agent acquisition a year ago, will be back in 2026. Reed started 11 games for Detroit last year, missing significant time with a hamstring injury. He got off to a good start but didn’t quite look the same after returning from the injury.
Reed allowed 32 receptions on 56 targets, at 13.4 yards per catch and recorded two interceptions.
It wasn’t the worst year considering the injuries he had to deal with. But Reed will turn 30 in November and it’s worth wondering how much age and injuries will slow him down, especially since the name of his game is being a hard-nosed, physical man corner.
The Lions lost veteran nickel corner Amik Robertson in free agency to the Washington Commanders. Robertson was a fan-favorite who played bigger than his size and embodied the Lions’ “grit” culture they want to cultivate, but he struggled in the back half of 2025 and his exit was obvious considering the Lions have said they want to get younger in 2026.
Enter Roger McCreary, the Lions’ presumptive new starting nickel cornerback. Detroit signed him to a one-year deal after he spent 2025 with the Tennessee Titans before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams at the deadline.
McCreary fits what the Lions like at that position, with strong press coverage skills and a knack for defending the run. He also spent significant time at outside cornerback for the Rams due to other injuries at the position, and though he didn’t hold up too great, there is some versatility there. He’s similar to Robertson in a lot of ways.
The Lions also brought back Rock Ya-Sin on a one-year, $4 million deal. He was signed last year to be a depth piece but wound up making six starts due to myriad injuries in the Lions’ secondary. Ya-Sin played well as a spot starter and should once again be one of the best backup corners in football. The Lions did well to re-sign him.
Then there’s the Ennis Rakestraw Jr. of it all. The Lions double-dipped at corner in the 2024 draft, picking Arnold in the first round and Rakestraw in the second out of Missouri. In college, Rakestraw was a physically imposing man corner who mugged wide receivers and played with a real mean streak. It’s easy to see why Detroit liked him.
But Rakestraw’s pro career hasn’t really gotten off the ground. He only played in eight games as a rookie due to a hamstring issue and missed all of 2025 because of a shoulder injury in training camp.
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It’s impossible to say what the Lions have in Rakestraw because he hasn’t been on the field. But for a position as dependent on real reps and experience as cornerback, it’s not a good sign that he’s been dealt such a tough hand with injuries.
“We like (Rakestraw),” head coach Dan Campbell said at the NFL owners’ meeting last week. “Rake’s coming back. I know it’s unproven right now, but he’s had a good offseason to this point.”
Detroit also has Khalil Dorsey and Nick Whiteside still on the roster as depth options.
The Lions have invested significant draft capital into the cornerback position with the premium picks they used on Arnold and Rakestraw, but a cornerback selection early in this year’s draft isn’t out of the question either. If Tennessee’s Jermond McCoy is there at No. 17, for example, he could be tough to pass up.
There’s also the question of how sustainable Detroit’s defensive scheme for the past two seasons is in terms of how it treats the corners. The Lions ran the second-highest rate of man coverage in the league last year at 26.76%, and led the league in 2024 with 30.81%.
It is an incredibly challenging scheme that asks a lot of the corner position, and when you factor in all the injuries the Lions have suffered in that room, it begs the question of whether or not the Lions should change it up. The team was forced to run more zone coverage later in the year once the injuries piled up, and we could see that continue in 2026.
Overall, the Lions’ cornerback room depends on the version of Arnold that shows up (or if he’s able to show up at all), if Rakestraw can stay healthy (along with how good he turns out to be) and if McCreary can be the answer at nickel.
Health is also a major factor considering last year’s events. Detroit has to keep its players healthy and avoid a “Legion of Whom” situation if it wants to return to contention in 2026.