Don't look past the Lions' depth guys starting at cornerback against the Chiefs

The Detroit Lions are dealing with some injury stuff again early in the season. Both D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold are out with injuries right now. The good news is that both of them could be back on the other side of the bye week. The bad news is that they won't be around for Sunday night's matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs and next week's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So that leaves the likely group of Amik Robertson and Rock Ya-Sin on the outside and Avonte Maddox in the slot. Some Lions fans have been concerned about this group, but let's talk about why they shouldn't be. We'll go one by one.

Amik Robertson

Amik Roberson Facts

• Robertson has started five games on the outside for the Lions
• He has a combined 86.4 passer rating against in those games
• He has a combined 68.6 Pro Football Focus grade

Call me crazy, but I actually think Robertson is better on the outside than he is in the slot. Like, he's not a bad slot corner by any means, but has shown some real stuff on the outside. The most notable is when he handled Justin Jefferson in Week 18 of last season and kept him to just three catches for 54 yards on nine targets. Last week, he allowed a big 62-yard touchdown to Ja'Maar Chase, but that really felt more like being out of place after being thrown to the other side of the field after Terrion Arnold went down. That was his first rep on that side in the game. It was just a perfect storm. He did have an interception in that game, though.

Rock Ya'Sin

Rock Ya-Sin facts

• Ya-Sin has 39 career starts
• In 29 snaps last week, he put up a 69.1 PFF grade
• He finished Sunday's game with two pass breakups and a 72.1 coverage grade

Ya'Sin looked really good against the Bengals. While it's been a while since he's been a full-time starter, he's been one of the better depth cornerbacks in the NFL in the last few years. He was also one of the Lions' biggest standouts during training camp and wowed everyone on the coaching staff. Make no mistake, this is Ya'Sin's first actual start since 2023, when he had one for the Ravens. He might need some help out there, but this guy is no slouch.

Avonte Maddox

Avonte Maddox Facts

• Maddox has only played nine cornerback snaps this season
• He had three starts in the slot for the Eagles in 2024
• He allowed a combined 68.8 passer rating in those starts

Maddox has a ton of experience in the nickel as both a cornerback and a safety, and he's had success in both of those areas. He has 41 career starts. Like Ya-Sin, this isn't his first go-around as a starting slot corner in this league. Maddox has been strong whenever he's on the field for the Lions. He's shown some very good tackling ability, and he's solid in coverage.

In addition to three guys, the Lions also have Tre Flowers, who was a starter with the Seattle Seahawks, and Nick Whiteside, who was a preseason standout for Detroit this summer. You want your starters back, but these guys can still go out and help this team win.