The Detroit Lions keep finding ways to win, even while their defense keeps making life harder than it should be. Through three weeks of the 2026 season, they’re 2-1, and that record has fueled plenty of talk that the answer has to be a major outside addition.
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has already surfaced as a possible target, and the idea makes sense on the surface. He’s an elite player at a premium position, which also means the price would be steep and the competition would be real. So while the Lions should stay open to that kind of move, Week 3 offered a different kind of answer: maybe the better play right now is to keep testing what’s already in the building.
Even in a game where Detroit gave up 24 points and dealt with another late collapse, the Lions still made the decisive play when it mattered. That has been a theme in this early stretch. The defense has been shaky, but when the game is on the line, the Lions have still found a way to deliver.
That was especially true because some new faces started to matter. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. replaced a largely ineffective Rock Ya-Sin and looked solid.
Chuck Clark remained a key part of the secondary, and Christian Izien made his presence felt at safety in what may have been his best game as a pro. He finished with 11 total tackles, including three tackles-for-loss.
After the win, Izien pointed to the way the group has stayed connected and leaned on preparation.
"It goes back to everybody doing their job. We trust the guys that are out there.
We practice all week with the guys that are out there. So, we know what everybody can do.
We know everybody's strength. We trust the guys.
We put the right guys in position to make plays."
Detroit still has more options to explore. Rookie Keith Abney Jr. remains available, and gritty Nick Whiteside is on the practice squad.
That gives the Lions a chance to keep mixing and matching while seeing whether more of these pieces can settle into useful roles. If that happens, a unit that looked thin on paper could turn into something more dependable than expected.
Rakestraw’s emergence may be the most important development of all. Detroit’s 2024 draft class has taken its share of criticism, but injuries kept Rakestraw off the field until this game against the Jets. Once he got his chance, he held up against Garrett Wilson, one of the league’s top receivers.
For Rakestraw, simply getting on the field and proving he belongs mattered.
"If anything, I learned that I could play in this league. I finally got to play in the game and I knew what kind of challenge (Garrett Wilson) was going to be backside.
I mean, (he's) paid a lot of money, so I kind of just had to step up to it. My teammates on the sideline kept encouraging me, Nick Whitside, everybody was just telling me, stay poor, next play.
And this is how I have my mindset."
If Rakestraw can keep building on that and live up to his second-round status, Detroit could get a real boost without having to pay the premium cost of a blockbuster trade. He still has plenty to prove, including staying healthy long term, but the Lions may have found a path to strengthening one of their weakest spots from within.
That doesn’t mean the bigger-swing option should disappear. It just means Week 3 gave Detroit something valuable: proof that patience and experimentation might uncover more than people expected. For now, that could be enough to help the Lions sort out their secondary while they keep winning.
In Other News...
Lions Just Reopened A Roster Spot With A Familiar Return
The Lions made a familiar practice-squad swap Tuesday, parting ways with cornerback Natrone Brooks and bringing back tight end Miles Kitselman. Kitselman is returning to Detroit after previously being waived with an injury settlement, a transaction that had temporarily taken him off the teams roster picture but left the door open for a reunion down the line.
Kitselmans return gives Detroit another look at a player the organization already knows, while the move also keeps the tight end room in motion after a series of roster adjustments at the position. The broader backdrop includes the injury settlement process, which can create an opening for a later return, and it comes amid other recent moves involving tight ends and defensive end Ahmed Hassanein. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Campbell Just Made Derrick Moores Path To Playing Time Clear
Derrick Moore has spent the early part of his Lions career a step behind, a familiar place for a rookie defensive end trying to climb a crowded depth chart while also dealing with lost practice time because of injury. For a Detroit defense that is still sorting through adjustments, the development curve has been especially important, and head coach Dan Campbell made it clear Moores next step is all about getting more work and turning those reps into trust.
Campbell said Moore needs those chances to keep growing, and that the expectation inside the building is he will improve and push for more playing time as he gets comfortable. Campbell also noted he has been spending extra time in defensive meetings to help with the ongoing adjustments on that side of the ball, which only adds to the sense that Detroit is trying to steady the group while waiting for younger pieces like Moore to catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Suddenly Have A Tough Center Decision Before Division Games
Juice Scruggs has handled the center job well through the first three games, giving the Lions something they needed in the middle of the offensive line after moving him into the role. He has graded out strongly and looked comfortable enough that Detroit now has a real decision to make as the schedule turns tougher, with divisional games looming against the Packers and Vikings.
Dan Campbell said Cade Mays is making progress in his recovery, but a Week 4 return may still be a stretch, and the Lions may choose to wait until after the bye before bringing him back into the mix. That leaves Detroit weighing continuity against the possibility of getting Mays back in place at center, a choice that could shape how the line holds up in the games that matter most for the division race. [Read more 🡒]