Detroit Lions to host draft-eligible CFL cornerback on top-30 visit

With how bad their pass defense was at times last season, especially late in the regular season and into the playoffs, the Detroit Lions should be leaving few stones unturned as they look to add cornerback help. Ahead of the NFL Combine, one of their official pre-draft visits is already known.

According NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the Lions will host cornerback Qwan'tez Stiggers on a top-30 visit.

Stiggers has taken an unconventional path to the possibly being drafted in the NFL. He did not play college football. The 2020 season at Lane College was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His father, who had been in a coma after a car accident, died in September of that year. He dropped out of school, and got away from football entirely.

After the passing of his father, Stiggers worked as a Door Dash driver and washed cars while continue to train and do football drills. He eventually played in the Fan Controlled Football League, where he had five interceptions in 12 games. After considering playing in the XFL, he landed with the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL for the 2023 season.

Lions hosting CFL cornerback for pre-draft visit

Stiggers started 16 games for the Argonauts last season, with 53 total tackles and five interceptions. He was named CFL Most Outstanding Rookie, becoming the first defensive back to win that award in 25 years, while also being named an East Division All-Star.

Since his graduating class is up, Stiggers is draft-eligible and he earned an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl. By all accounts he did very well there, putting himself further on the radar of NFL teams. He did not earn an invite to next week's NFL Combine though, so any team visits/workouts he has stand to be important to his prospects of getting drafted.

The Lions have of course already turned to the CFL to add a player this offseason, signing reigning Most Outstanding Defensive Player Mathieu Betts earlier this month.

In the modern draft era (since 1967), only two players have been taken in the NFL Draft after not playing college football-Eric Swann in 1991, and Moritz Boehringer in 2016. Stiggers seems to have a good chance to be the third, and the Lions are intrigued enough to allocate a top-30 visit to him.