Cornerback is a massive need for the Detroit Lions this offseason, and a deep draft class at the position will provide options to help fill the need. Defensive backs took the field for on-field work at the NFL Combine on Friday afternoon.
While that type of stuff can be brushed off as not related to football, it can show things that do matter to success as a football player (athleticism/explosion, movement skills, willingness to compete, etc.).
The cornerbacks have been measured and done all their work on the field in Indianapolis. With that, here's an updated 2024 NFL Draft ranking of the position for the Lions.
Updated Lions cornerback rankings after the NFL Combine
1. Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
2. Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Missouri
3. Terrion Arnold, Alabama
4. Kamari Lassiter, Georgia
5. T.J, Tampa, Iowa State
6. Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
7. Cam Hart, Notre Dame
8. Cooper DeJean, Iowa
9. Kris Abrams-Draine, Missouri
10. Nate Wiggins, Clemson
Notes
Rakestraw was reportedly battling a groin injury on Friday, which surely impacted his sub-par 40-yard dash time (4.54).
McKinstry had a Jones fracture discovered in his right foot during combine medical evaluations. He will still work out at Alabama's Pro Day, then get it fixed. He's expected to be ready for training camp.
Wiggins ran an official 4.28 40-yard dash on Friday. On his second run, he said he "heard his groin pop". But Stacy Dales of NFL Network later reported Wiggins said it's a hip flexor issue and he hopes to work out at Clemson's Pro Day on April 6. Wiggins weighed in at just 173 pounds, so he fell down the board a little here.
DeJean's final season at Iowa ended early due to a broken leg. On site in Indianapolis, he confirmed it was a fractured fibula. He did not work out at the combine, and he won't workout at Iowa's Pro Day on March 18. But he did say he plans to have an on-campus workout before the draft.
"I'll work out some time before the draft ... sometime definitely before the draft -- early April," DeJean said. "I just started running full speed last week, so I haven't been able to train like I want to."
Fortunately for the Lions, the cornerback class is deep for this year's draft. But ideally, they'll get one of the top guys at the position.
Quarterbacks, wide receivers, and running backs do their on-field work at the NFL Combine on Saturday, March 2 at 1 p.m. ET, then offensive linemen will take the field on Sunday, March 3 at 1 p.m. ET.