NFL insider adds new AFC team to Lions' competition for Carlton Davis

Upon arriving last March, Carlton Davis declared he would be exactly what the Detroit Lions needed in a No. 1 cornerback. Then he went out and did it, allowing a 77.0 passer rating and a completion percentage below 56 percent over 13 games this season. Pro Football Focus graded him No. 21 overall among qualified cornerbacks, equally stout in coverage and against the run.

The Lions acquired Davis knowing he was entering the final year of his contract, and if he played well he would able to cash in nicely in 2025 free agency. Being sidelined at the end of the season by a broken jaw isn't ideal, but Davis is undoubtedly among the top free agent cornerbacks.

As indications of what former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn might want to do in free agency as head coach of the New York Jets have naturally come to light, Davis feels like an automatic free agent target in that regard. There will certainly be other teams who have some interest in Davis, adding to the competition as the Lions would surely like to retain him.

NFL insider adds new AFC team to Lions' competition to sign Carlton Davis

Davis landed at No. 23 in ESPN's ranking of the top-50 2025 NFL free agents (subscription required) as things sit right now, 11 days out from Super Bowl LIX.

"Davis started 13 games for the Lions before a broken jaw landed him on injured reserve. The veteran corner has man and zone traits, which will give him options on the market; plus, he is a willing tackler on the edges. In seven seasons, he has 11 interceptions and 68 pass breakups. He can create on-ball disruption."

Insider Jeremy Fowler added some insight to Davis' looming free agency.

"Some teams have Davis as the No. 2 corner in the class. Watch for Jacksonville to potentially make a move here. The Jaguars likely won't be huge spenders in free agency, but they want to fortify their secondary."

Jacksonville had the league's worst pass defense this season (257.4 yards per game), and in other deeper pass defense metrics they were at or near the bottom of the league. So they can certainly use someone like Davis, but if they "likely won't be huge spenders in free agency" that would seem to diminish them as a suitor. However, Davis' slight durability concerns (he has never played more than 14 games in a season) could keep his cost down.

The list of teams with some level of need at cornerback is always long. If Davis winds up regarded as the second-best cornerback on the market and a bidding war ensues, the cost to re-sign him could go beyond where the Lions are willing to go. The Jaguars may be a serious suitor, or they may just be an annoying team that enters the fray to push the cost a notch or two higher for whoever signs Davis.