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3 Cornerbacks the Lions Should Target Before the Nov. 10 Trade Deadline, and 2 to Avoid
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- 3 Cornerbacks the Lions Should Target Before the Nov. 10 Trade Deadline, and 2 to Avoid
Detroit is 4-2 heading into Sunday's showdown with the 6-0 Vikings , and the Lions have a defense that hasn't kept pace with Jared Goff and the offense. Brad Holmes has until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 10 to find help at cornerback .
Opponents have thrown for 1,881 yards against the Lions, the most per game in the league, and 29 of those completions went for 20 or more yards, tied with Houston for the most in the NFL, according to NFL.com . Quarterbacks have a 102.2 passer rating and 16 touchdown passes against Detroit.
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The pass rush is doing its part. Detroit has 21 sacks, tied for the league lead, and Aidan Hutchinson had nine pressures against Green Bay in Week 7, according to PFF. The coverage behind him is where it breaks down. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. allowed three catches on four targets for 40 yards in that game, and linebacker Jack Campbell gave up all eight passes thrown his way, according to PFF. Kerby Joseph is still on the PUP list, and Rakestraw is questionable this week.
The Lions have about $34.3 million in cap space, as we wrote this week , so the bigger question is which players are worth the price.
3 players the Lions should target
Oct 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) runs the ball against Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Riq Woolen (2) during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
CB Riq Woolen, Philadelphia Eagles
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Woolen is the cleanest fit on the market. The Eagles are 2-5 after five straight losses, and Woolen signed a one-year, $12 million deal in March, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer . Most of that came as a signing bonus Philadelphia already paid, so Detroit would only owe the rest of a $1.26 million base salary .
He hasn't been spotless. Dallas hit him for four catches on six targets for 76 yards and a touchdown in Monday's 38-21 loss, according to PFF, though he also broke up two passes. At 6-foot-4 with 12 career interceptions, he would give Kelvin Sheppard a long outside corner to line up opposite D.J. Reed. Woolen is shrugging off the noise. "You hear things, but nobody knows the truth," he told the Inquirer.
CB Kristian Fulton, Kansas City Chiefs
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Fulton is in the final year of the two-year, $20 million deal he signed with Kansas City in 2025. Young corners Mansoor Delane and Nohl Williams have taken on bigger roles, and the Chiefs could free up about $10 million by moving him.
When he has played, he has been tough to throw on. Quarterbacks have a 21.3 passer rating targeting Fulton, second best among cornerbacks, and he has allowed five catches with an interception, according to PFF. That comes on just 136 snaps, so it's a small sample. He's 28, he started in Tennessee and he would cost a fraction of what the big names will.
CB Nahshon Wright, New York Jets
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Wright is the buy-low swing. He intercepted five passes for the Bears in 2025, then signed a one-year deal with the Jets worth up to $5.5 million. He hasn't played a defensive snap for New York after a training camp injury.
He told ESPN's Rich Cimini he hasn't formally asked for a trade, but he made his frustration clear . "I just want to go where I can play, whether it's here or somewhere else," Wright said. A 6-foot-4 corner with ball skills who has played in Minnesota and Chicago would cost a late pick at most, and the Lions could see in practice in Allen Park whether the injury is behind him.
2 players the Lions should avoid
Aug 29, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) reacts after a play against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn ImagesRobert Goddin-Imagn Images
CB Sauce Gardner, Indianapolis Colts
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Gardner's name will come up as the Colts sell. Indianapolis is 2-5, fired general manager Chris Ballard and has already traded Quenton Nelson. But Gardner is signed through 2030 on a four-year, $120.4 million extension , and the Colts gave up two first-round picks to get him last November.
The play hasn't matched the price. PFF ranks him 54th of 103 qualifying cornerbacks this season, and he has allowed 18.8 yards per catch with a 103.5 passer rating when targeted. He also has no interceptions in 10 games as a Colt and has dealt with calf injuries. Gardner doesn't sound like he wants out, either. "I embrace everything. I feel like I'm fit for a rebuild, anything," he said this week .
CB Charvarius Ward, Indianapolis Colts
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Ward has been floated as a Lions fit , and the appeal is easy to see. He's a former Pro Bowler who led the NFL with 23 passes defensed for San Francisco in 2023.
The contract is the problem. Ward is due a $12.98 million base salary this season and carries a $24.67 million cap number in 2027, according to Over the Cap . He's 30, and PFF has his coverage grade at 56.9, 61st of 103 corners, while he allows 14.4 yards per catch. With Brian Branch back in the lineup and Joseph working toward a return, Detroit's cap space is better spent on a rental who can cover outside this season.
This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
