No filler in the Detroit Lions cornerback group for 2018
By Ash Thompson
The Detroit Lions may have the best corner group in the NFL. From top to bottom this group is full of legitimate NFL talent.
The Lions cornerback group is the deepest group on the team. The Lions have spent a lot of resources on the position over the last two seasons, so it probably should be. Bob Quinn has built a solid group from top to bottom.
Darius slay is the Lions best defensive player, and it is not even close. “Big Play” Slay lived up to his nickname last season. He led the NFL in both passes defended and interceptions. That kind of performance is impossible to discount. He gets his job done.
Across from Slay, Nevin Lawson and DeShawn Shead will battle for snaps as the season goes on. The other team’s personnel and scheme will likely determine who gets more snaps on a week to week basis. There really is only one player who will be on the field in every situation in the Lions corner group.
Quandre Diggs is the starting nickel defender by all evidence. There have been instances of Shead manning the role, and again, that will likely occur as the season goes on in response to the opposition the team faces. Diggs has far more of a lock on the nickel spot than anyone has on the outside position though.
The Lions bench features a pair of 2017 draft picks. Jamaal Agnew, of course, was an All-
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Pro kick returner as a rookie. He will man the punt return duties again in all likelihood, and should see the field in dime situations against smaller and quicker receiver groups.
Teez Tabor has not been bad in the preseason. He has not been good enough to challenge for a starting position either. The entire offseason program Tabor was getting first team reps, but the moment camp opened, he took a back seat to the veterans on the team. He is clearly the best remaining outside corner on the roster, and he has taken over most of the special teams roles historically associated with veteran special teams aces at the position.
It is after that where things get a bit more interesting going into the final preseason game. Sterling Moore signed with the team last week. He has a history with Matt Patricia. Scheme familiarity makes him more likely than most late preseason pick ups to make a mark. Moore is a legitimate NFL talent. He has not really been visible to Lions fans, and as such bears watching in the final preseason game.
The rest of the group have not really shown us much. The Lions secondary has been porous. Alex Tannay, Ryan Griffin and E.J. Manuel have all put up pro bowl caliber performances against the bottom of the Lions depth chart. None of the Lions depth defenders has stood out enough on special teams to make it likely that they would challenge for the 53 man roster.
Next. Jake Rudock likely the odd man out in the Lions QB room. dark
The Lions will have six legitimate NFL caliber players in their corner group, but it would not be surprising if they looked elsewhere to populate the practice squad. There has been no training camp hero to emerge from this position group.