The Detroit Lions are, once again, feeling the effects of a brutal injury bug floating around their team. First it was D.J. Reed, their prized free agent signing this offseason, who is now on the IR for at least another three weeks while nursing a hamstring injury. Then, it was stalwart left tackle Taylor Decker, who finally missed a game after nursing a lingering shoulder injury since Week 1.
Now, it's the Lions' other starting cornerback feeling the effects of a long season, as Terrion Arnold is likely headed for the IR following a Week 5 shoulder injury. Right now, the Lions' cornerback depth consists of Rock Ya-Sin, Amik Robertson (somewhat), and recent callup Tre Flowers. Not great.
The Lions have two options: either trust that someone on their current practice squad, like Nick Whiteside or Luq Barcoo, can step in and impact their defense somewhat similarly to that of one helmed by Reed and Arnold, or they can pick up the phone and land a starter in a trade.
General manager Brad Holmes should really be looking to do the latter, and there's one player he should be looking to bring into the fold: Cleveland Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II.
Newsome should be next target for Lions amidst injury woes
Newsome, a fifth year defender in the league, has spent his entire career with the Browns. He's fairly consistent and healthy, playing in most games for the Browns over the last five seasons. He's racked up 178 total tackles over that time, and he's got 23 already through five games this year. He is a solid outside corner who would, at minimum, bring starting caliber talent to Detroit.
And, notably, Newsome has been mentioned in rumblings connected to the Lions, per USA Today reporter Jeff Risdon.
It's going to be impossible for Detroit to replicate, exactly, what Reed and Arnold bring to this Lions defense. Arnold is a great one on one defender who doesn't get enough appreciation for how well he does in close coverage. Reed is a corner you must fear as a quarterback, as he's always lurking in space to make you pay for an errant pass.
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Newsome is still growing as a defender at just 25 years old, but if there's an organization to bring something out of him, it's Detroit. A trade for Newsome would probably call for something better than the 5th rounder the Lions dealt to the Browns last year for Za'Darius Smith.
A fourth rounder could likely get it done, especially with Cleveland still in rebuild mode. Draft capital is what matters here, not a replacement. The Lions don't have a third rounder in 2026, and anything earlier feels a bit rich. Detroit should be poking around a few teams to see who would bite on that draft compensation, but Cleveland should be their first call of the afternoon following this Arnold update.