The Detroit Lions have struggled on defense to start the 2026 season, and particularly in their secondary. They were apparently trying to make a move to shore that up, but whiffed on adding Joey Porter Jr. to the mix.
Even though the ship has sailed on Porter Jr., there could still be an opening for the Lions to make an addition at cornerback. There are other players who will be available, and the belief is the Lions could make calls for a new addition.
ESPN analyst Jeremy Fowler looked at some of the bigger storylines in the league heading into Week 5. When asked to identify a team that badly needed a trade, Fowler didn't hesitate to list the Lions, and specifically name cornerback as the spot that needed a boost. He cited Kristian Fulton and Jalen Ramsey as a pair of names the franchise could look at.
"The Lions should make a move for a cornerback. They were in on Joey Porter Jr. before Pittsburgh traded him to Dallas. Detroit's secondary is swimming right now, and though safety Brian Branch is close to a return and safety Kerby Joseph should eventually be back, the Lions don't have enough corner help to run the coverages they want. This team has elite players on both sides of the ball and must embrace its window of contention, whether it's slipping away or not."
"One potential option is Kansas City's Kristian Fulton, who is in and out of the Chiefs' lineup. He is owed real money -- $5 million of his $9.75 million base salary is guaranteed -- but perhaps the Chiefs and Lions could split the bill to facilitate a deal. Is it worth calling Pittsburgh for Jalen Ramsey? Not sure he's available, but the Lions' defense seems far from settled."
Things have gone from bad to worse in terms of depth given the news that Rock Ya-Sin has gone down with injury, and the players that are playing simply aren't getting it done. None of the names that come up between now and the deadline could be as big as Porter Jr., but the Lions could still improve a weak unit by making a deal.
Fulton has had an up-and-down career since being a second-round pick in 2020 and has played for three teams with just five career interceptions. Ramsey is an established veteran presence who has experience playing for contenders before. Either would be an upgrade over what the Lions currently have.
It remains to be seen whether Brad Holmes wants to cough up draft capital to make a move, but it's safe to say both of these moves wouldn't be cost prohibitive.
Dan Campbell still focused on working with the Lions players he has
While it's clear the Lions need another addition even when Brian Branch returns and potentially Kerby Joseph, there is no indication that any move is on the horizon. Detroit has a bye in Week 6, and the trade deadline comes up on November 10. A major move before then is unlikely.
With that in mind, there's nothing Campbell can do but work with the players he has on the roster. The Lions will be trying to improve with those players, because that is the quickest way to turning things around. In the immediate aftermath of the Week 4 defeat, that was Campbell's focus.
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"I'm not going to worry about (an outside addition). My job is to get these guys going. We've got guys on the back end that can cover. We got guys that can hit. We got to pull this thing together and find the right combination of coverage versus pressure and job responsibility. Putting guys in the right spot to do what they do. This is a work in progress. We're four games in, and we've got to find a way to get better. I thought we would play better than we did last week, and as a whole, we didn't."
There is no doubt the Lions still have talented players, and it's likely the staff is focusing on cleaning up organizational problems which have plagued them early this season. Campbell and Kelvin Sheppard have a lot of work to do in order to get the Lions where they need to be.
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