The Detroit Lions have spent quite a bit of resources on their secondary this offseason and nobody is happier about it than head coach Dan Campbell.
The Lions lost Cameron Sutton after releasing the veteran cornerback following his legal issues, but they traded for Carlton Davis, signed Amik Robertson and drafted Terrion Arnold (via trade up) and Ennis Rakestraw.
Not only does that group offer plenty of promise, it's also very versatile, with the four aforementioned corners all having inside/outside capability.
Campbell couldn't hide his excitement when talking about the group on Tuesday while at mandatory minicamp.
“It’s a great place to be in. We have so many options right now, so much competitiveness,” Campbell said. “The talent level, the competitiveness, the versatility, honestly, we have no idea who our starting lineup is gonna be right now, and it’s exciting. It’s so good. There’s no telling who’s gonna be our outside corners, who’s gonna be our nickel, who’s gonna be our safeties. This thing is wide open across the board. It’s gonna be great to let these guys compete and go after it and see who goes, who’s gonna be the most reliable guys for us, who’s gonna be the most dependable. It’s exciting.”
While Campbell says he isn't certain how things will shake out, we can take an educated guess.
Barring Detroit moving Brian Branch to safety or making a significant free-agent addition, the Lions will likely return the starting duo of Kerby Joseph and Ifeatu Melifonwu at safety, which was an effective combination in 2023.
Davis is the most experienced and proven of the cornerbacks and should be viewed as the No. 1 going into the season. Arnold will likely fit in as the No. 2 across from him and has the tools to be a lockdown corner, but there's no guarantee that'll happen in the Alabama product's first season, if at all.
With Branch working in the slot, the Lions will have Rakestraw and Robertson as depth options, and both could fill Branch's role if his recovery from offseason surgery takes longer than expected.
Whatever the pecking order ends up being, the Lions should, at the very least, have a better group than last year's.
