Things got heated for Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes last week. He was peppered with questions about Terrion Arnold’s departure and the state of the team’s cornerback room, and he spent a lot of time defending their process. Holmes just kept repeating that he liked the guys they had. “We like the guys we have, we like what we’ve done, and we feel good about what’s in the room right now,” he told a reporter, wrapping up a contentious back-and-forth.
The Cornerback Room: What’s Really In There?
Okay, so Holmes says he likes the guys, and you can’t blame him for sticking up for his team. They do have some capable starters at cornerback. D.J. Reed locked down a three-year, $48 million deal last offseason, and Rock Ya-Sin really stepped up in 2025, allowing only a 77.7 passer rating when targeted over 17 games and six starts, according to PFF. That’s solid, for sure.
But the depth? That’s where folks are getting nervous. Roger McCreary, a former second-round pick, has been inconsistent, starting only 10 games over the last two seasons, and now he’s on his third team in two years. Then there’s Ennis Rakestraw, another former second-rounder, who hasn’t started a single game and had a rough training camp and preseason. Rookie Keith Abney looks like he needs more time to develop, and Khalil Dorsey is mostly a special teams guy. It’s fair to wonder if they’re truly insulated against injuries or poor play.
Missing Stars and Campbell’s Wild Claim
The situation gets even more complicated at safety. The Lions are without their elite talents, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, who are both on the Physically Unable to Perform list and will miss at least the first four games of the season. They did make some smart moves, signing Chuck Clark and re-signing Avonte Maddox, who are both reliable. But let’s be real, both those guys will be 30 by the end of the season.
Despite all this, head coach Dan Campbell went on 97.1 The Ticket and didn’t just double down on Holmes’ comments. He tripled down! Campbell stated, “This is the best position we’ve been in in the secondary without those two guys [Branch, Joseph] in a long time.” He backed it up, saying, “Maddox and Chuck are very reliable, dependable, smart football players,highly competitive. Rock and Reed, man, are highly competitive, get the job done. They’re gonna compete, they’re gonna battle, nothing’s too big for them.” He even mentioned the depth guys: “We’ve got McCreary, we’ve got Abney, we’ve got Rake. I like where we’re at.”
Look, Maddox, Clark, Ya-Sin, and Reed have definitely played a lot of football and earned their stripes. But with two elite safeties out for a quarter of the season and genuine question marks at cornerback depth, it’s hard not to be worried. The Lions are betting big on these guys, and the start of the season is going to show us if Campbell’s confidence is justified. What a ride it’s going to be.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pride of Detroit.
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