6 Cornerbacks Detroit Lions Could Target

Jalen Davis (Bengals Practice Squad)

Davis was a 2017 All-American with Utah State, but went undrafted. After stints with both the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals, Davis settled in with the Cincinnati Bengals. He has logged 52 games with the Bengals over the last five seasons, but only saw the field in two contests last year. Davis is primarily a slot corner, with his last game experience on the outside being 10 snaps in 2023.

If anyone has advanced knowledge of the Bengals’ offensive system, it would be Davis. He has seen them in practice every year since 2020.

Andrew Booth (FA)

Booth was a former top-50 selection out of Clemson by the Minnesota Vikings. While Booth did not pan out for the Vikings, only lasting two seasons, he did add seven games and a career-high two starts with the Dallas Cowboys last season.

The former All-ACC selection showed lots of intrigue, but a mix of injuries and a failure to meet expectations has him on the outside looking in for the NFL. With the current roster situation for the Lions, bringing in Booth as a fourth-or-fifth option is not a bad idea for a flyer. In his most recent career start, he played 87% of the Cowboys’ snaps against the Philadelphia Eagles, whom the Lions travel to in November.

Tyson Russell (FA)

Russell was an undrafted rookie from the 2025 NFL Draft, and did not earn a roster spot with the Lions during rookie minicamp. However, the Lions called him back before training camp began, and the former Vanderbilt corner spent fall camp with Detroit.

Russell did not make the 53-man roster out of camp, nor did he earn a spot on the practice squad, but he spent the whole offseason learning Kelvin Sheppard’s defense. Russell would know the roster, staff, and locker room if he is called upon.

In Sheppard’s system, he recorded 78 snaps at outside corner, and his PFF coverage grade was 62.5, including an interception against the Houston Texans during the final week of the preseason. Russell had some moments to learn from, especially against the Dolphins during joint practices, but also provided some flashes.

Nick Whiteside (FA)

Whiteside, much like Russell, spent the preseason with Detroit. Whiteside also spent the 2023 and 2024 preseasons with the Washington Commanders, who are on the Lions schedule later this year.

Whiteside was much more of a “boom or bust” product on field with the Lions this preseason than Russell. The Saginaw Valley State product had two pass breakups, one each against the Falcons and Dolphins. However, in his other two games, against the Chargers and Texans, Whiteside’s coverage grade was abysmal, with PFF scoring both contests below 40.

Houston, in particular, was rough for Whiteside, as he was credited with allowing seven of his eight targets to be caught for 94 yards. He was also whistled once during the game for a penalty.

That said, Whiteside has more experience in the league than another option such as Russell, and the veteran played nearly 20 more snaps on the outside corner spots than the rookie during preseason, too.