Projecting a roster in July is usually a bad bet, but the Detroit Lions do have a few spots that are still very much up for grabs. One of the more interesting names in that mix is Nick Whiteside.
A month ago, the cornerback room looked settled enough. Terrion Arnold and D.J.
Reed were the outside starters, Roger McCreary handled nickel, and Ennis Rakestraw, Rock Ya-Sin, Keith Abney and Khalil Dorsey helped fill out the depth chart. That picture has changed enough to give Whiteside a real opening.
The biggest reason is the release of Arnold, which sends a ripple through the entire cornerback group. Outside corner is suddenly thin, and while Whiteside would be a long shot to beat out Ya-Sin or Rakestraw for a starting job, there is now a path for him to stick as a reserve.
Rakestraw has dealt with injuries in both of his first two seasons, and Whiteside actually has more regular season snaps with the Lions than Rakestraw does. Pedigree may favor Rakestraw, but neither player has much trust built up in this defense right now.
If Reed, Ya-Sin and Rakestraw are all on the roster, that leaves just three outside corners. That kind of thinness has already burned the Lions before. In 2025, injuries to Arnold and Reed forced Amik Robertson outside and pushed Ya-Sin into a starting role, and the team never really found stability at the position.
Whiteside was part of that mess, too. At one point, he had to take on a major role against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7, and he made the most of it.
He finished that week as the Lions’ highest-graded defender by PFF. Even with that performance, he bounced between the practice squad and the active roster and never got more than a handful of snaps.
This year could be different. There is a spot for him to win, and he has a real shot at it.
Dorsey’s situation adds another wrinkle. He’s on the bubble as well, even with his value as a gunner.
His defense résumé is limited, and the Lions have multiple special teamers in the mix. The Kendrick Law injury could also open the door for Cedrick Wilson and/or Dominic Lovett, both of whom can play gunner.
Whiteside still has work to do before September, but for the first time in his NFL career, he looks like more than just a long shot.
In Other News...
Former Lions CB Terrion Arnold May Not Wait Long To Land
Terrion Arnolds next stop could come together quickly after the former Lions cornerback cleared waivers and became free to sign with any NFL team. His release has already pushed him into a market where teams are looking for secondary help, and his camp says the phone has started to ring.
Among the clubs that could make sense are the Jets, where a reunion with Aaron Glenn would be the obvious hook, along with the Chiefs, who could use more depth in the back end, and the Buccaneers, who still have questions to sort out in their secondary. For Arnold, the path to a new opportunity appears open, and the only real question now is which team moves fastest. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Roster Rankings Show Who May Already Be Slipping Away
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Luke Altmyer, Anthony Lucas and Colby Sorsdal are among the names drawing attention because each brings a different kind of intrigue, but also a clear path problem. Altmyer has the arm talent and poise to keep scouts interested, Lucas arrives with the kind of upside that can make an undrafted player hard to ignore, and Sorsdal is trying to find his way at tackle while facing a crowded room, which is exactly the kind of competition that can turn a projected depth piece into an afterthought before camp even settles in. [Read more 🡒]
This Lions Addition Could Quietly Change Everything In The Secondary
Roger McCrearys arrival in Detroit gives the Lions another layer of flexibility at cornerback at a time when the secondary is still sorting itself out. Signed to a one-year deal, McCreary brings experience inside and outside, which matters for a team that has been looking for dependable answers after Terrion Arnolds release opened up more opportunity in the defensive backfield.
The appeal is obvious for Detroit: McCreary has already shown he can handle different assignments and stay productive in the NFL, making him a natural fit to compete for a meaningful role right away. He is in the mix for one of the open starting jobs, and while the Lions have other options on the roster, this is the kind of addition that could quietly reshape how the defense lines up once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]