Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden (0) catches a pass over the defense of Cincinnati Bengals CB Cam Taylor-Britt Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pros and Cons of Detroit Lions Trading For Bengals Cornerback

Originally posted on Detroit Lions on SI
By Emmett Matasovsky | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 4:01 PM ET

The Detroit Lions currently sit with the second best odds to make an appearance in the Super Bowl, through the first seven games of the 2025 regular season.

With the NFL trade deadline rapidly approaching, and the Lions currently on their bye week, the front office can seriously evaluate potential trade targets.

One of those potential options is Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt.

CBS Sports called the trade for Taylor-Britt one the most realistic options for the Lions, and there are a few reasons why.

Among the reasons general manager Brad Holmes could target Taylor-Britt is that he has proven experience in the league, while still being young.

He plays with a physical style that Detroit covets, plays the ball in air, and appears to be a great scheme fit with what new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard requests from his cornerbacks.

While he has struggled in the past, his youth is an asset. The Lions' coaching staff has the ability to practice patience to assist in coaching up areas of deficiencies.

He also would come at a relatively inexpensive price, possibly even as low as a fifth-round draft pick.

On the flip side, the 26-year-old was benched by the Bengals, who do not have a stout defense.

He can get handsy (11 penalties in 2024), and is allowing the sixth-worst passer rating when targeted, per PFF. His coverage grade is currently a career-low.

“You have to ask yourself, ‘why would the Bengals want to trade Cam Taylor-Britt?’ Well, because he got benched for not playing up to the standards that, I have to say this laughing, for the Bengals defense which is not that good,” NFL analyst Ryan Wilson explained. “He is a long, physical cornerback that can get handsy at times, but he does have ball skills. He is going to play primarily outside, they like physical cornerback play in Detroit with Kelvin Sheppard, and I think he fits there.

"The thing is, you have to get him off of those bad habits that landed him on the bench in Cincinnati. The upside for Detroit is you can probably get him at a much cheaper rate than what you might have to pay for someone like Alontae Taylor, and he is still only 26 years old. There is a chance he can turn this thing around and return to the form we saw a couple of years ago, when he was a starter week in and week out in Cincinnati.”

Taylor-Britt shows upside, especially at an inexpensive price. But his season stats have diminished his value for that price drop. That said, if there is any general manager and head coach combination to trust as talent evaluators, it is Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell.

This article first appeared on Detroit Lions on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: