The Detroit Lions don't have much to lose in their secondary right now.
They have just one legitimate "starter" available to them for Week 5, and that's D.J. Reed. Reed is struggling mightily this season, allowing a 2.415 EPA/target in man coverage, per Pride of Detroit's Al Karsten and FTN Fantasy. So, let that speak to how much worse the rest of secondary is, if this is their leader in the unit.
It's high time for the team to shake things up, likely with some trades to make them competitive. Ahead of that time, though, they can only play the cards that they have. That includes deploying rookie Keith Abney II and recent practice squad call-up Jalen Mills against the Arizona Cardinals ahead of their bye week.
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Abney has gotten limited snaps so far this season, with Roger McCreary getting tapped ahead of him to play both outside corner and slot corner. Both were competing for that open role in training camp and preseason, but McCreary was the obvious choice thanks to his experience. Abney, though, deserves a shot to prove he could hold his own at the nickel with the Lions repeatedly getting gashed there in recent weeks.
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As for Mills, he's a former Lion and member of the "Legion of Whom" from 2025. He wasn't necessarily impactful then, but Detroit is desperate for some new looks in their secondary. So, why not bring back a "familiar" face? The safety could take some snaps from Christian Izien, who took a step back in Week 4 after a promising Week 3 debut.
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While it'll be nice to see Abney get a shot at sticking in the Lions' rotation, it sucks to see them attempting to fix what feels like a massive problem with just one replacement at cornerback. We also don't even know if his "larger role" means he'll be starting, or if he'll get a "larger role" like rookie Jimmy Rolder did in Week 4 - a few snaps in the 1st quarter and then pulled shortly after.
It's also unfair to now expect players like Abney or Mills to provide any boost to their secondary. The Lions have not set themselves up for improvement or success this season, and now they expect a rookie and a PS member to help. Even calling up Nick Whiteside, who did a great job in training camp this year, would look like more of an attempt to fix their secondary than tossing a rookie into the flames like this.
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