Photo Credit: Jane Gershovich/Getty Images.

As we all know, the Lions drafted Terrion Arnold in the first round in 2024 and signed DJ Reed to a big money long-term deal this past off-season. However, Reed was lost to a hamstring injury, and Arnold to a shoulder injury. Both players will be back this year, but rumors are circling that the Lions are interested in adding another player to the room. It makes sense, as even before they went down, the cornerback play was a bit lackluster. Brad Holmes has said it before, he considers himself a cornerback savant, so I’m not surprised that he wants to add more talent to the group.

As the Lions try to make a Super Bowl push, I would not be surprised if they make a move or even multiple, especially with how last year went with injuries on defense. There have been multiple reports the Lions are interested in Edge players as well as cornerbacks, and we already covered that here: 6 Edge Rushers The Lions Could Actually Trade For.

Let’s talk about defensive backs that the Lions could realistically add as the trade deadline looms.

CB Tariq Woolen, Seahawks:

Woolen is a very polarizing player, standing at 6’4″ 210lbs with a blazing 4.26 second 40 yard dash, he has all the physical traits you’d look for. At just 26 years old, he may be considered a piece for the future, a very enticing player for teams looking to add cornerbacks. However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows with Woolen, which is part of why Seattle is open to getting rid of him. Woolen at one point was seen as a young lockdown corner, he has fallen off a bit the past few seasons though, as he has seen his fair share of bad plays, and benching’s to boot. He had a 74.2 and 75.0 overall PFF grade in ’22 and ’23 respectively, but ultimately saw a fall off with a 65.7 in ’24 and an abysmal 47.2 in ’25 so far. Obviously, that is not ideal, and is part of why the Lions may not be as interested as fans would like them to be. He has allowed 15 catches on 27 targets, 221 yards, 1 touchdown, and a QBR of 94.8. He is also in the final year of his rookie contract, yet another reason to not give up a lot for him. I would expect Seattle to want something of value for him, but I don’t see a team willing to give much. Seattle went from a heavy cover-3 defense, where players had specific roles, to a more fluid, versatile defense, where you ask players to be able to do multiple different things. They also use a lot more match and man coverage, which could be a reason why Woolen has taken a big step back. Woolen seems to be better when he covers deep, rather than being asked to cover multiple places on the field. This is also a reason why I’m not so sure the Lions are that interested, as they play a ton of man and match coverage, similar to Seattle currently. However, I think Woolen has all the traits you look for, and the Lions have shown to be able to get the most out of their defensive backs.

COST: 2026 conditional 4th round pick.

I don’t see the Seahawks getting more than 4th, but I also don’t know if they’d want to trade him for less. He is on a contract year, and he is likely playing his worst football of his career so far. I could see Woolen’s value as a 5th rounder, but a team may be willing to make it a conditional 4th, based on playing time. Seattle has played pretty well this year, so they aren’t in ‘sell’ mode just yet. I’m not sure I’d be willing to give more than a 5th if I am Holmes, simply due to his fit and the fact we may already have better players.

CB Cam Taylor-Britt, Bengals:

Britt, 26, is another solid young corner that is likely to be available. However, similar to Woolen, Britt is not having his best season. He has a career low PFF grade (56.0) and QBR allowed (132.2) on the 2025 season. He has allowed 198 yards and 2 TDs, with 15 tackles as well. He has been a solid run defender, with a 68.4 PFF run defense grade in 2024, but this season he hasn’t been playing well. He was made a healthy inactive vs the Steelers, which would already be a bad sign, but given the Bengals defensive woes, it’s even worse. However, he is the perfect build for what Holmes looks for physically, at 5’11” 202lbs, which could play into the Lions being interested. He doesn’t quite have the tools that Woolen does, but he still has the physical traits you’d ask for. He doesn’t have the highs that Woolen did either, as Britt’s career high PFF grade came in 2024 with a 63.6. He ran a 4.38 40 at the combine though, so he has some things you could potentially build on. He would fit well here, with the ability to play inside and outside. He is also in the last year of his contract, so it would likely be a rental if the Lions don’t want to resign him.

COST: 2026 7th rounder.

Britt is obviously not playing well this season. On top of that, he is in a contract year, and has been passed over by other Bengals DBs for playing time. I’d expect Cincinnati to be very open to moving him, to get anything of value back. The Lions may not be very interested for the aforementioned reasons, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Holmes decides to kick the tires on the young gifted corner. At the end of the day, you’re not giving up much for a player that could help you down the stretch.

CB Alontae Taylor, Saints:

Taylor, 26, is a solid cover corner. He may be the best player on this list. At 6’0″ 200lbs he has the prototypical size you’d like, with a 4.36 40 to boot. He currently has 64.3 PFF grade with a coverage grade of 68.8. He has allowed 27 catches, 233 yards, and 3 touchdowns on 40 targets. He is also allowing a QBR of 107.6, with 36 tackles as well. Obviously, he’s not a shutdown corner the Lions will have to pay a ton for, but he’s likely going to command the most in the trade and free agent market. He is in a contract year, and will likely get a solid payday this off-season. In my opinion, Taylor has the chance to be the Lions second best corner behind Reed, even if Arnold is healthy. I don’t know how probable this move is, because he will cost a bit more than other corners we may be interested in.

COST: 2026 conditional 3rd round pick.

As I mentioned, Taylor may be the best player we’ve mentioned so far, which means he will also be the most expensive. Really, the only reason Taylor is even available is because the Saints are rebuilding, Taylor is in a contract year, and the Saints are actually pretty deep at corner. I could potentially see the saints taking a 4th+, but I’m not so sure they’d accept that. The Lions don’t have a 3rd round pick this year, so it would likely be hard for them to make this deal. He will likely get between $15 million and $18 million per year in the open market next summer, so it would be hard for the Lions to extend him if we made the deal.

CB Michael Carter II, Jets:

Carter is in a very similar boat to Britt and Woolen, a decent player who is having a bit of a down year. Just 2 years ago in 2023, he had his best season with an 80.4 overall PFF grade and 37 tackles. This season, he has a career low 43.0 PFF grade while allowing 10 catches, 136 yards, 0 touchdowns and a QBR of 95.4. Obviously, it could be a lot worse, but there’s a reason all of these guys may be available. Carter is more of a true slot, at 5’11” 184lbs, he has played almost 70% of his snaps in the slot this season. The biggest difference between Carter and the others is that Carter is signed through the 2027 season, which could add some value for the Lions. His cap hit for both years is around $12.5 million, which is not ideal, but the Lions could make it work. They would likely release him after the season. He is a solid run defender too, which the Lions seem to value highly among their corners. However, the fact Glenn doesn’t want him doesn’t bode well for his fit here, as the defensive scheme and locker rooms will be similar.

COST: 2026 6th round pick.

Again, Carter may have 2 years left ton his deal, but that may hurt the Jets more than help them in this scenario. Whoever trades for him takes on a $12.5 million cap hit in 2027, and if his play continues the way it has this season, I don’t see a team being willing to pay him that, so you’re looking at a rental. On the bright side, he’s still young, and with a change of scenery, that cap hit could become a steal.

CB Ja’Quan McMillian, Broncos:

McMillian may be playing the best of anyone on this list outside of Taylor. At just 25 years old, he offers some solid youth. However, much like the others on the list, he is on a contract year. He doesn’t have a ton of versatility though, at just 5’9″ 183 lbs he is currently playing over 80% of his total snaps from the slot. That could still help us, but the Lions prefer corners they can put anywhere on the field. McMillian isn’t necessarily on the block due to poor play, but more due to the drafting of his successor Jahdae Barron in the first round of April’s draft. This season, McMillian has allowed 20 catches for 217 yards on 45 targets while allowing a QBR of 75.5. He currently has a PFF grade of 71.3, with a run grade of 75.5 and a coverage grade of 64.5. Overall, he is a young, solid slot corner that could make some sense for the Lions, and shouldn’t cost too much.

COST: 2026 6th round pick.

This could be a deal where you see a 6th for 7th swap as well. On a one year deal, playing pretty well, it will likely mean McMillian will play himself into a pretty solid contract, so the Lions would be making this deal as a rental. I could see a plethora of other teams being interested though, so there’s a chance there could be a very small bidding war for him. With his lack of versatility too I don’t know if the Lions would be willing to do what it takes to win that war.

CB Rasul Douglas, Dolphins:

In my opinion, Douglas might make the most sense for the Lions for a plethora of reasons. While 31 years old, he has been able to keep up his play this season, currently having a 74.5 overall PFF grade, good enough for 13th among all cornerbacks. He has allowed 24 catches on 36 targets for 210 yards and one touchdown, with a QBR of 91.2. He also has been playing the run well, with 30 tackles. He also adds versatility the Lions like, with the ability to play inside and outside, as well as at safety. He has played the majority of his snaps outside for Miami this season. Miami, as we all know, is one of the worst teams in the NFL, so it makes sense they’d want to trade a 31 year old corner on a one year deal while they can still get some value for him. Any of these guys would be rentals, but Douglas may offer the best bang for your buck.

COST: 2026 5th round pick.

With his play being pretty good this year, I expect it will take a little more to get Douglas than some of the other players on this list. Obviously, no matter who we choose, the Lions are likely going to have a rental, so why not go with the best player available? Even if he is older, it doesn’t make a big difference for us.

SUMMARY:

As the trade deadline gets closer, the Lions continue to be involved in rumors regarding trades for either edge defenders or cornerbacks, and I wouldn’t be that surprised if they made a move for each.

As we saw, there are a decent amount of solid players available, so I do believe the Lions will ultimately make a move before next Tuesday at 4pm.

Ideal Scenario: Either Lions trade a 4th round pick for Tariq Woolen OR a 5th round pick for Rasul Douglas. I’d be fine with the others, as it will cost less, but I do believe these two players offer the best value for what you’d have to give. Age doesn’t make a big difference for us now, as all of these players will likely be around for one season. Either way, the Lions have a lot of options and should be able to get someone they like.

If you’re here, you love sports. Why not show that love with some new gear? Fanatics has it all, on sale! Click our link to help support us, as we will receive a small payment. Can’t go wrong with new gear! As always GO LIONS! https://fanatics.93n6tx.net/K0XnLn

Follow us on X/Instagram @MiFBNetwork and @JaceOSweet for all of your Lions, Wolverines, and Spartans news! Subscribe to the site so you don’t miss an article!

If you like video content, Subscribe to our YouTube channel, where we host multiple shows, all about Michigan Sports! https://www.youtube.com/@MiFBNetwork