The Detroit Lions had a real problem in 2023 with cornerbacks. They were getting burnt left and right and it really hurt what they were able to do. They’ve made wholesale changes at the position this offseason by trading for Carlton Davis, signing Amik Robertson and then parting with Jerry Jacobs, Will Harris and Cameron Sutton. But they don’t at all seem to be done yet.
The Lions have spent a lot of the pre-draft process looking at cornerbacks. So far they’ve had seven cornerbacks in for top-30 visits. Alabama cornerbacks, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold, Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw, Wake Forrest’s Caelan Carson, Auburn’s Nehemiah Pritchett, Kentucky’s Andru Phillips and Toronto’s Qwan-Tez Stiggers have all been to Ford Field to meet with the Lions.
It’s not just top 30 visits though. We know the Lions also formally met with Mckinstry and Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell at the NFL Combine. We also know that Lions GM Brad Holmes was on hand for the Alabama pro-day to watch both McKinstry and Arnold. The Lions had representatives at many of the available cornerbacks pro days. They took Fresno State’s Morice Norris out to dinner after his.
The interesting thing about all of this is that Lions GM Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell seemed split on the necessity for a cornerback at the league meetings in March. Campbell said there was urgency to find a cornerback and Brad Holmes said it wasn’t a need.
He may not feel that it’s a need, but it certainly looks like it’s a want for him based off the amount of due diligence he and the Lions are doing on the position. We’re going to find out how badly he wants one in two weeks when the draft kicks off.