The next installment in our training camp preview series looks at the Detroit Lions’ cornerback group.
In this installment of our Detroit Lions 2025 training camp preview series, we examine the Lions’ cornerbacks, speculate on current and future roles, and discuss how many players from this group could make the 53-man roster.
Previous training camp previews:
- QB: Can Hendon Hooker stick at QB2?
- RB: Will there be any changes to the room?
- WR: Loaded with depth options and youth
- TE: Who will win the TE3 job?
- OT: All eyes on Giovanni Manu
- IOL: What to expect from IOL overhaul
- DT: How Alim McNeill’s injury impacts the room
- EDGE: Roles and Depth battles
- LB: How Malcolm Rodriguez’s injury impacts the room
Setting the table
Like the front seven of the Lions defense, Detroit’s secondary also had its fair share of injuries in 2024, though most occurred late in the year. The Lions opened the season with an overhauled cornerbacks room that featured four new players at the top of the rotation: Carlton Davis, Amik Robertson, as well as rookies Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw. Two returning players, special teams ace Kalil Dorsey and veteran Kindle Vildor, rounded out the room.
For the majority of the season, these six players consistently contributed in the Lions’ secondary. Even when Rakestraw landed on injured reserve in Week 12 and was replaced by Emmanuel Moseley, the defensive backfield rolled on. Unfortunately, in Week 16, both Davis and Dorsey were lost for the season. The following week, Moseley landed on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list and was replaced by Stantley Thomas-Oliver. The Lions leaned on just their four healthy corners for the remainder of the season.
Entering the 2025 offseason, the Lions retained under contract Arnold, Robertson, and Rakestraw, then re-signed Dorsey and Thomas-Oliver to one-year deals. Davis (Patriots) and Vildor (Buccaneers) departed in free agency, and the Lions signed D.J. Reed to a three-year contract and veteran Rock Ya-Sin to a one-year deal as their replacements.
Roster construction
Under the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell regime, the Lions have opened the season with at least six corners, but have surprisingly ended the season with fewer than they started with three times. Let’s take a look at what they’ve done at corner in the previous four seasons:
- 2021: Started the season with six (with one hybrid CB/S), but ended with just five.
- 2022: Repeated the previous season by starting with six (one hybrid) and ending with five.
- 2023: With a second hybrid added to the mix (Brian Branch), the Lions opened with seven and ended with seven.
- 2024: They started with six pure corners (no hybrids) and ended with just four, though three contributors finished the season on injured reserve.
The battleground
The Lions’ cornerback room looks pretty clean on paper. Arnold and Robinson are expected to return to their starting roles on the outside and at nickel, respectively, and priority free agent Reed is expected to assume the vacated outside corner spot. But are things as straightforward as they appear?
Will there be any serious competition for starting roles?
The Lions are a merit-based team and will award players who earn playing time, but assuming nothing drastic happens during training camp, it’ll be hard for any of the depth corners to usurp the three projected starters.
Of the challengers, Rakestraw has the most talent and best opportunity to challenge for a starting role. However, he missed a good portion of his rookie season with an injury and was focused mainly on learning the nickel role, while coach Dan Campbell has noted that they’re preparing to keep him on the outside in training camp.
“It’s up to him. He’s got an opportunity. We’re going to play the best guy,” Campbell said during OTAs. “That’s what competition’s about. The whole roster knows that. If you’re the best guy, we’re not going to just sit there. It’s the best guy. He’s going to have a chance to compete. We’d like to keep him outside right now and just let him go. He had a good spring. There again, we’re in pajamas, but he’s going to get a chance to compete and see how much he’s grown and what kind of production he can have for us.”
Campbell went on to note that Rakestraw struggled a bit inside, and when they had him practice outside last season, he showed growth. With that being the focus during training camp, how quickly he becomes a serious contender depends on how quickly he develops.
With Rakestraw back on the outside, who are depth options at nickel?
While the Lions’ coverage scheme has remained consistent over the previous four seasons, their approach to building the cornerbacks room changed in 2024. In previous seasons, they leaned on a hybrid defensive back who was capable of playing safety and in the slot for their nickel role. Last season, they shifted to a more natural cornerback to play inside, opting for the speed and quickness of Robertson over size and physicality.
Outside of Rakestraw, the rest of the depth corners have minimal experience playing inside. Ya-Sin had only taken 133 of his 3000+ snaps at nickel, while Dorsey has only 10 career snaps inside, and Thomas-Oliver has just five.
Enter Avonte Maddox. The Lions plan on using Maddox at safety this season (which is why he hasn’t been mentioned up until this point), but he has a corner-type frame and skill set, and 2000+ nickel snaps on his resume.
“We obviously lost Iffy (Melifonwu), and we gained Avonte Maddox,” Lions safeties coach Jim O’Neil said. “Avonte will be an inside player, similar to what he’s done his whole career, as far as a nickel/safety body. That’s what he’s done at Philly for the years (he was there).”
The positional flexibility of Maddox to back up both safety spots as well as Robertson in the slot will provide the Lions a lot of insurance, as well as the ability to keep Branch at safety should help inside when needed.
How many corners will make the roster?
History shows us that the Lions prefer to keep at least six corners on the active roster, and with only seven on the training camp roster (eight if you include Maddox), the majority of the players discussed in this article will likely make the 53-man roster. Arnold, Reed, Robertson, and Rakestraw look like locks at this time. Dorsey is arguably the Lions’ best non-kicking special teamer, leaving potentially one more spot up for grabs.
Battling for what might be the final spot are Ya-Sin and Thomas-Oliver. Ya-Sin brings a level of experience that the Lions liked in Vildor, and coaches tend to prefer players with veteran savviness and reliability. Thomas-Oliver brings some scheme familiarity after spending time with the team last season and could have the upper hand early in camp. This camp battle won’t demand headlines, but it has the potential to be a significant decision in late August.