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Detroit Lions top NFC North cornerback power rankings

By Ash Thompson

DETROIT.MI - NOVEMBER 24: Darius Slay #23 of the Detroit Lions runs the ball back after intercepting a pass in front of Adam Thielen (19) of the Minnesota Vikings with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter at Ford Field on November 24, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions kicked a field goal as time ran out to defeat the Minnesota Vikings 16-13. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT.MI - NOVEMBER 24: Darius Slay #23 of the Detroit Lions runs the ball back after intercepting a pass in front of Adam Thielen (19) of the Minnesota Vikings with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter at Ford Field on November 24, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions kicked a field goal as time ran out to defeat the Minnesota Vikings 16-13. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT.MI – NOVEMBER 24: Darius Slay #23 of the Detroit Lions runs the ball back after intercepting a pass in front of Adam Thielen (19) of the Minnesota Vikings with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter at Ford Field on November 24, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions kicked a field goal as time ran out to defeat the Minnesota Vikings 16-13. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT.MI – NOVEMBER 24: Darius Slay #23 of the Detroit Lions runs the ball back after intercepting a pass in front of Adam Thielen (19) of the Minnesota Vikings with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter at Ford Field on November 24, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions kicked a field goal as time ran out to defeat the Minnesota Vikings 16-13. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

The Detroit Lions cornerback group

The Lions corner group starts with the best corner in the division: Darius Slay. Slay is coming off a season in which he intercepted or broke up a total of 21 passes, which was first in the NFL. He also allowed a mere 55.6 passer rating on throws into his coverage. There is little debate outside Minnesota about who the best corner in the NFC North was for the 2017 season.

After Slay, there is a dropoff. Nevin Lawson is about on par with Waynes. He is a serviceable starter. He does not make as many big plays as Waynes, but also doesn’t give up as many easy completions. Quandre Diggs, when he is playing slot corner, also fits the “good enough” bracket of NFL corners. His skills as a deep safety far outweigh his corner play. Neither of those 2017 starters may even be on the field much in 2018 though.

The reason I give the nod to the Lions is the players that fill out the rest of the roster. DeShawn Shead had a very good season in 2016, the last time he was even close to healthy. He spent almost the entire 2017 season recovering from a late-season 2016 ACL tear. Shead is only 26 years old and had 15 pass breakups for the Seattle Seahawks during his last healthy season.

The first player that the Lions are hoping for a jump in performance from is Teez Tabor, but their season does not count on it like Minnesota’s does. Tabor had about the rookie season you could reasonably expect. He fought for p[laying time in a deep Lions secondary, taking over for D.J. Hayden toward the end of the year. He played fine.

Jamal Agnew was an All-Pro as a rookie. Of course, that was as a kick returner, making it irrelevant to this discussion, but he too played more snaps toward the end of the season and did not look out of place on an NFL field. His jaw-dropping athleticism makes him a threat to break out in a big way for the Lions.

Next. Lions top NFC North Power Rankings. dark

The Detroit Lions have the best combination of top-tier talent, veteran depth and developing players in the NFC North at the cornerback spot. That is why they sit atop the NFC North’s cornerback power rankings.

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