This past season, the Detroit Lions allowed the sixth most passing yards in the NFL (4,205). To address that obvious vulnerability, general manager Brad Holmes invested extensively in cornerback.
The Lions selected Terrion Arnold (24th overall) and Ennis Rakestraw (61st overall), in addition to Carlton Davis III, Emmanuel Moseley, and Amik Robertson. The majority of that group has not appreciated being classified as a “depth player” by the media.
“Dawg, yall need to bury this depth player shi. Lol. stop playing with me .. yall gone see tho. Keep that same energy.”
Here’s how the newly improved secondary could play out for the Lions and what the team thinks about their boisterous new cornerback.
Lions Revamped Secondary Could Make the Difference in 2024
Giving up the sixth most passing yards was only the tip of the iceberg for the Lions’ weak secondary. They were 30th in yards per attempt (7.4), 27th in opponent passing play percentage (61.1%), and 23rd in average team passer rating. In sum, opposition passing offenses cut up the Lions like Bobby Flay.
That is not fully on the secondary. The lack of a sustained pass rush outside of Aidan Hutchinson made them vulnerable. However, the secondary was obviously a major issue. To repair it, they turned to Robertson, who could not be more Dan Campbell-like. As the fiery head coach described it:
“The first thing was his competitiveness. You just said it, I don’t care if he’s inside or outside, the guy competes. He is a feisty, competitive, challenging corner who has versatility to play in and out. That’s always going to appeal to us.”
His knee-cap-biting attitude, as does his versatility, fits the bill. Now, if Emmanuel Moseley goes down again as he did last year, Robertson can slot in wherever they need him. That positional flexibility and ball-hawking style (two interceptions in each of the last two years) should fortify what was a Swiss cheese secondary.
