With the Detroit Lions' recent decision to release Terrion Arnold following his arrest, it automatically feels like their secondary has taken a hit.
Arnold was their presumed starting cornerback next to DJ Reed headed into this season, and now, that "open" competition is legitimately open.
Rock Ya-Sin appears to be the frontrunner for the position, but the veteran journeyman feels like a bit of a gamble as their starter for not only a full season, but perhaps for the postseason. He did do an excellent job last season starting for Arnold, though, so Detroit might just be looking to re-create some "Legion of Whom" magic with Ya-Sin alone.
That said, the inclusion of Ya-Sin, rookie Keith Abney II, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Roger McCreary, and Khalil Dorsey in this competition should help to soothe some of the (legitimate) concerns Lions fans have headed into this season regarding the teams' cornerback room.
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Abney comes into the fold as a hyped rookie prospect who many have deemed a steal from the 2026 NFL draft. A projected 3rd rounder, the Lions managed to take him off the board in the 5th round. Abney can play at the nickel or outside, but his smaller size makes him more ideal in the former role. Still, he seems open to competing wherever there's a need for the Lions.
"Abney excelled on the outside the last two seasons starting 26 games and recording 96 tackles with 21 passes defended and five interceptions. He had an 86.3 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus last year, which was Top 20 in the FBS, and allowed just a 46.1 passer rating when opposing quarterbacks targeted him," wrote team reporter Tim Twentyman of Abney's work as an outside corner for Arizona State.
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Rakestraw enters with a golden opportunity to shed a potential bust label. Injuries have held him back from exhibiting any signs of life since being drafted in 2024, having played in just eight games for Detroit in three seasons. That's not going to cut it. And, he knows that, with coach Deshea Townsend saying this about Rakestraw's approach this offseason for injury prevention:
"His body has changed. You can see physically how much mass and strength he's put into his shoulder and neck area, which is important. Just staying healthy is going to be big for him but his body most definitely looks different."
Of course, Dorsey is more of a special teams fixure than someone that Kelvin Sheppard might actually look to plug in on defense, but he could be another factor in this competition. And, McCreary could see a nice bounce back from a misstep of a season while with the Los Angeles Rams and Tennessee Titans in 2025. Even ESPN's Ben Solak is "bought in" to a redemption season from McCreary.
Detroit is not completely desperate for depth here. At safety, sure - Brian Branch isn't returning for a while as he rehabs a torn achilles, and Kerby Joseph's availability remains as big of a mystery as D.B. Cooper. Behind them, Christian Izien and Chuck Clark are set to start for Detroit in a pinch. But at cornerback, the Lions feel a lot more prepared for sudden change.
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