The 2023 NFL season was a tough one for the Detroit Lions' pass defense.
Despite respectably holding opposing quarterbacks to a 63.1% completion percentage, they finished near the bottom of the league in passing yards per game allowed at 247.4 yards.
With that in mind, the Lions entered the 2024 offseason with the intent to fix their cornerback room and they made major investments to do so.
They traded for Carlton Davis, signed Amik Robertson, and spent their first two draft picks on Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
A year later, it seems they still haven't solved their problem.
In article discussing the biggest roster decisions each NFL team needs to make this offseason, Pro Football Focus' Bradley Locker identified figuring out the cornerback position as the biggest decision for the Lions.
Last offseason's moves didn't have as big of an effect as the Lions would have hoped.
Their completion percentage allowed actually did get even better as they only allowed opposing QBs to complete 61.1% of their pass attempts.
However, they were still third worst in yards per game allowed at 244 yards. Their yards per completion allowed also only dropped from 12.3 to 11.8, keeping them near the bottom of the league.
Now Davis can test free agency after being the team's clear best corner.
The biggest question for Lions at corner is what they can expect from Arnold and Rakestraw going forward.
Arnold didn't have a great rookie season, allowing 13.2 yards per completion when teams threw his way. However, his 55.6% completion percentage allowed was solid.
Meanwhile, we have seen very little of Rakestraw at the NFL level. He played just 46 defensive snaps in his rookie season.
The answer for the Lions seems to be going out and getting a veteran they can rely on while they sort out what they can expect from the rookies.
That could be re-signing Davis. D.J. Reed has been a name that has come up a bit as a potential free agent signing. Maybe they find a corner they can trade for.
Whatever they decide, just adding a new rookie probably isn't the answer as it would just add more uncertainty to a corner group with plenty of question marks already.
One thing's for sure. What the Lions do at cornerback is going to play a big part in determining whether they contend for a Super Bowl in 2025.
