The Detroit Lions still haven’t cracked the cornerback code.
Since Darius Slay was dealt to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019 after disagreements with Matt Patricia, Detroit has kept swinging at the position without finding a long-term answer. The team has taken six defensive backs since then, and the results have been uneven at best.
Jeff Okudah remains the biggest miss in that stretch. Selected third overall in 2020, he has become one of the most disappointing picks in Lions history. He is now a free agent after a brief stint with the Minnesota Vikings in 2025.
The problems didn’t stop when Bob Quinn was dismissed and Brad Holmes took over. Ifeatu Melifonwu battled injuries throughout his time in Detroit, and he also spent time at safety in Aaron Glenn’s scheme. Chase Lucas, a seventh-round pick in 2022, also came and went without much impact.
Holmes has tried to attack the position more aggressively in recent years, but even those moves haven’t produced an immediate fix. In 2024, he explained the thinking behind how Detroit approaches roster building: “Say you draft only those positions, but they're not contributing to your football team.
So, did you win the draft? Did you win the draft because you drafted those positions, but they're not contributing to your football team?
Or do you draft the best football players that are contributing to your football team and making you a better football team? So we're trying to address football players that contribute and make us a better football team.”
Terrion Arnold was the kind of prospect the Lions were willing to move up for in the first round, but his time in Motown lasted less than three years. Ennis Rakestraw, a second-round pick in 2024, has also dealt with injuries in his first two seasons, though he is expected to compete for playing time in 2026. Keith Abney, taken in the fifth round in 2026, is viewed as a value pick after his success at Arizona State.
Detroit’s inability to find steady play at corner has spilled into the rest of the defense. Over the past couple of seasons, the unit has not reached its goals, and the team has had to keep spending free-agent money on the position. Those dollars have mostly gone toward short-term, prove-it contracts.
Holmes has already made several notable moves there, signing Cam Sutton and D.J. Reed and trading for Carlton Davis. Even so, the Lions are still searching for the kind of cornerback stability they haven’t had since Slay left.
Jeff Okudah (2020, pick No. 3, first-round)
Ifeatu Melifonwu (2021, pick No. 101, third-round)
Chase Lucas (2022, pick No. 237, seventh-round)
Terrion Arnold (2024, pick No. 24, first-round)
Ennis Rakestraw (2024, pick No. 61, second-round)
Keith Abney (2026, pick No. 157, fifth-round)
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