Not so long ago, the Detroit Lions had the worst pass defense in all of football. They're not as bad anymore, but they're still a work in progress and might need more help at cornerback to complete the turnaround.
D.J. Reed has been much better in recent weeks, but he's about to miss his first game of the season with an injury. As for Roger McCreary, he's solid but spends most of his time at nickelback when they have three corners on the field.
Considering that, and given that the Indianapolis Colts are sitting at 2-6 and drifting aimlessly, the Lions should at least inquire about getting Sauce Gardner ahead of the November 10 trade deadline. He might go for a first-round pick, which is steep but worth it.
The Detroit Lions should call the Indianapolis Colts about Sauce Gardner
Gardner is one of the best shutdown cornerbacks in the league, not to mention a Detroit native. The New York Jets may have only traded him because the Colts were willing to overpay for his services, but his trade value has clearly plummeted since.
Even so, the Lions' 2027 first-round pick should be in the late 20s or, hopefully, No. 32. The Colts don't have a first-rounder because of the Gardner trade, so they would gladly recoup that draft capital to kick off the post-Chris Ballard era.
As for Detroit, they would be getting a guy who doesn't give up big plays or touchdowns. His interception numbers are far from impressive, and he's been banged up, but those are probably the only two knocks on his otherwise flawless game.
The Lions overcame a slow start to the season. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard managed to live to see another day after most fans called for his dismissal, and he's made some crucial adjustments and stopped relying as much on zone coverage, turning things around.
Gardner is an elite player in man coverage, and he'd be the ultimate plug-and-play addition for a defense that desperately needed a cornerback even before moving on from Terrion Arnold. He's right there for the taking, and a player of his caliber isn't available that often.
The Colts might be so desperate for assets that they might even consider taking a second-rounder for the Cincinnati product. He might be the season-changing addition this secondary needs to go from a work in progress to a shutdown unit, especially once Kerby Joseph is cleared to play.
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