{"id":869820,"date":"2026-04-19T10:21:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T10:21:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/869820\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T10:21:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T10:21:22","slug":"lions-should-have-compelling-cb-options-in-early-rounds-including-risk-reward-on-day-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/869820\/","title":{"rendered":"Lions should have compelling CB options in early rounds, including risk-reward on Day 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Tennessee\u2019s Jermod McCoy was viewed as the best cornerback in the draft prior to missing the 2025 season with a torn ACL. (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Allen Park \u2014 When considering how an NFL team will approach the upcoming draft, you have to look beyond the immediate roster needs. Each selection should be viewed as a four-year investment. Therefore, we must weigh the bigger picture with each possible choice.<\/p>\n

Heading into the 2026 NFL draft, we\u2019re going to take a position-by-position look at Detroit\u2019s roster, focusing on areas where the team might add talent in the event. Today, we\u2019ll look at cornerbacks.<\/p>\n

Current roster: Terrion Arnold, D.J. Reed, Rock-Ya Sin, Ennis Rakestraw, Khalil Dorsey, Roger McCreary, Nick Whiteside, Avonte Maddox<\/p>\n

Short-term need: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Long-term need: 7.5\/10<\/p>\n

Analysis: Cornerback has been one of the toughest reads on Detroit\u2019s roster this offseason. It\u2019s part on-field performance, part injury concerns, and the lingering cloud of potential legal issues for Arnold. <\/p>\n

Regarding Arnold, the former first-round pick has yet to deliver first-round value. He struggled with penalties out the gate as a rookie, missed most of last season with injuries \u2014 including a shoulder issue that required surgery \u2014 and his name has been tied to an armed robbery and kidnapping case in Florida, where several acquaintances have been charged with allegedly perpetrating a revenge plot after Arnold\u2019s Airbnb property was robbed. <\/p>\n

The team is monitoring the situation, but their modest free-agency approach to the position suggests they\u2019re not overly concerned about Arnold ultimately getting ensnared in the still-developing dilemma. <\/p>\n

Across from Arnold, the Lions return Reed, who had a disappointing first year in Detroit, largely due to a severe hamstring strain that sidelined him for several games in the middle of the campaign. <\/p>\n

Prior to the injury, Reed allowed 11 completions on 18 targets for 136 yards and no touchdowns through four games. That\u2019s a strong line and reason for some optimism. <\/p>\n

Detroit\u2019s nickel job is open following the departure of Amik Robertson. McCreary, a low-cost free-agency signing, figures to get the first shot. Maddox and Christian Izien, another versatile addition, could also be in the mix for slot snaps. <\/p>\n

In terms of depth, Detroit brough back Ya-Sin. He will be paired with Rakestraw, the former second-round pick who has missed most of his first two seasons with injury. If he can stay healthy, it would go a long way toward stabilizing things on the outside. <\/p>\n

Long-term, the questions are larger. The Lions will have a decision to make next offseason regarding a fifth-year option on Arnold\u2019s rookie deal. That figure is not yet determined, but will likely be between $13-16 million for 2028.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, they\u2019ll have a cap decision regarding Reed, who has a $13.6 million option bonus in 2027, which would leave a significant dead money hit on the team\u2019s cap in 2028 if he\u2019s not extended.<\/p>\n

Combined with Ya-Sin and McCreary working on one-year deals, there\u2019s plenty of value in adding a corner via the draft.<\/p>\n

When asked about Arnold\u2019s situation, general manager Brad Holmes acknowledged that he\u2019s a \u201cpessimistic planner.\u201d That would imply cornerback is on the table in the earliest rounds for the Lions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tennessee\u2019s Jermod McCoy was viewed as the best cornerback in the draft prior to missing the 2025 season…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":869821,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2071],"tags":[146,113,2506,7,147,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-869820","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-detroit-lions","8":"tag-detroit","9":"tag-detroit-lions","10":"tag-detroitlions","11":"tag-football","12":"tag-lions","13":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116430877446822873","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=869820"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/869820\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/869821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=869820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=869820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=869820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}