The Lions entered the 2024 draft with a cornerback problem staring them in the face, and the original answer was to move up to No. 24 for Terrion Arnold out of Alabama. That move made sense at the time. It just hasn’t aged well.
Arnold is no longer a Lion after just two seasons, and in a fresh 2024 redraft from CBS Sports’ Zachary Pereles, Detroit does not exactly clean up the mistake in the way you’d hope. Pereles kept the trade-up in place, but swapped the target, sending the Lions to safety Calen Bullock instead.
“The first third-round pick to end up in the first round of this redraft, Bullock is a menace who tackles like a linebacker and has nine career interceptions. He can drop down into the box and play in the slot. The Lions would have a tremendous trio of Bullock, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, all players Dan Campbell loves, or, in Bullock's case, would love.”
Bullock is a strong player, and with the current health questions surrounding Branch and Joseph - especially Joseph - the fit makes some sense. But it also leaves the same basic issue hanging there.
Detroit still doesn’t come away with a proper cornerback answer at No. 24.
That’s where the redraft gets frustrating for the Lions. Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Nate Wiggins and Kamari Lassiter were all off the board by the time Detroit picked.
The best corner left was Kool-Aid McKinstry, a player many mock drafts had tied to the Lions before the real draft. He ended up going 41st overall to the New Orleans Saints.
McKinstry’s rookie year wasn’t spotless, but he did play all 17 games last season, picked off three passes and finished in the top 10 in the league with 17 pass breakups. Compared with what Arnold gave Detroit on the field last year, injuries and all, that would have been a welcome return.
A redraft is supposed to offer a cleaner path. For the Lions, even with hindsight, this one still doesn’t fully solve the hole that was obvious from the start.
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