The Detroit Lions enter into the 2026 offseason with some major needs on both sides of the ball that are easy to spot, but some other upgrade spots exist a bit further below the surface.
Defensively, the Lions were doomed by health on the back end most of the season. While many of those players figure to come back healthy next season, the franchise may not be willing to take any more gambles on that fact, and may instead seek to make some surprise depth additions along the way.
One spot of such intrigue is cornerback. On paper, the Lions might not need a name addition at the spot, but considering the health struggles of Ennis Rakestraw, a former second-round pick and the continued up and down development of Terrion Arnold, it could make sense.
Already, NFL analyst Lance Zierlein sees a player with attributes that the Lions could appreciate. Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood is going through the pre-draft process, and Zierlein likens his skills to former Detroit and current New England Patriots' cornerback Carlton Davis. Specifically, he loves what he brings to the table as a player.
"Press-man bully with an ability to put his stamp on the first and last phases of the snap. Hood plays with a disruptive punch and gets his hands on most releases, but shifty NFL wideouts could create issues for him. He has enough speed to stay phased on verticals and does a nice job erasing space on in-breakers from tight press or off-man looks. He’s disciplined in zone but route switches still cause occasional missteps."
Perhaps more impressive than that, Hood sounds like he is the type of player that the Lions would love in terms of his toughness and willingness to step up and tackle in run support.
"Hood plays with aggression in the catch space, taking top positioning by force. Physicality also shows up in run support, where he triggers downhill with stopping power and finishes like an extra safety. Hood needs to sharpen his instincts/technique, but he has the mentality and upside to become a CB2 in a press-heavy scheme."
Typically, the Lions play man coverage and appreciate toughness in their cornerbacks, so Hood could fit them. Hood's stock is currently up in the air, but the NFL.com profile believes he could "become a good starter within two years." That tracks with Detroit's potential timeline.
Carlton Davis reveals he still appreciates Lions after leaving last offseason
To see a prospect compared to Davis is interesting. The Lions, arguably, should not have let the cornerback walk last offseason. Indeed, reports have surfaced they tried to keep Davis around, and were close to doing so if not for some contractual disagreements.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press recently revealed that Davis and the Lions were negotiating a contract last offseason before free agency, and he was close to returning if not for terms he didn't appreciate. In spite of that, Davis told Birkett that he still appreciates the Lions and their brain trust.
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“I love Detroit,” Davis said. “Before the season started, I was rooting for those guys as far as like them making it back to the playoffs. I still got a lot of close relationships with the team. Even like how it went with free agency with us and Brad and Dan, it was like a straight-up process. It wasn't no (expletive) around it. It was good conversation, good communication, so I got nothing bad to say about them. Actually, I'm still a big fan of what they do. And I still got a lot of love for a lot of those guys on the team for sure.”
The Lions wanted to keep Davis last offseason even as they allowed him to walk, and could be looking for another player who fits his mold in the defensive backfield. With that in mind, Hood is an interesting option for the franchise. His skillset could give the Lions the type of player they seemed to sorely miss last season on defense.
This player comparison could end up meaning a lot to the Lions come April, providing they see the same kind of attributes in Hood as they loved in Davis.