Detroit Lions: 3 free agent corners who could bolster the secondary
By Bob Heyrman
Dre Kirkpatrick is another outside corner the Detroit Lions should consider bringing in for the 2020 season. In a passing league, combined with a position of need, having a plethora of cornerbacks available is nothing short of a benefit.
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Kirkpatrick, like Dennard, has played his entire career with the Bengals. Kirkpatrick was only targeted a mere 29 times last season while playing 334 total defensive snaps. He did allow 19 catches, which made for an unimpressive 65.5% catch rate, the worst of his career as an established starter. But only being started 29 times does prove quarterbacks preferred to target elsewhere on a terrible Bengals defense.
Kirkpatrick is a former first-round pick and stands 6-foot-2 with similar ball-hawking skills to Trumaine Johnson. There are plenty of teams that are in the market for starting cornerbacks; the Seattle Seahawks search will likely be ramped up after Quinton Dunbar’s recent arrest. Also, the Dallas Cowboys will be looking to add an established corner after Byron Jones landed a massive deal in free agency with the Miami Dolphins.
Kirkpatrick was limited to just six games last season after suffering a knee injury. He’d be a perfect corner to compete with Okudah and Trufant for a starting job. Also, his ability to play either side of the field is very beneficial to the Detroit Lions as the first player off the bench.
I assume Kirkpatrick will seek a starting job before settling in as a depth corner, but here we are in mid-May, and the proven defensive back still remains available.
Over his eight-year career, five of which he’s been a staple in the Bengals secondary, Kirkpatrick has allowed a career catch rate of 56.4%, which is very respectable to go with his 254 solo tackles, 40 pass breakups, and ten interceptions. Kirkpatrick has allowed 20 touchdowns against throughout his career and an average completion of 12.2 yards per catch.
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He’s a player the Detroit Lions need to consider bringing in to help reinforce the Detroit secondary.