The Detroit Lions gave out some bad news on Monday night ahead of their night practice when Dan Campbell said the Lions are getting Ennis Rakestraw checked out now, but that things don't look good and that he could be out for a while with a shoulder injury that he sustained in practice on Sunday. While the Lions do have Rock Ya-Sin, who can step in and be that CB4. He's looked really good this summer, but the Lions have also talked about wanting to try him at safety as well.
The Lions have signed a few different cornerbacks during training camp, with DicCaprio Bootle, Nick Whitseide, and now D.J. Miller being the latest, but they could be on the lookout for more help soon since they need the depth at this position pretty badly. Here are five available options.
Asante Samuel Jr.
It's a bit of a surprise that this pretty recent second-round pick, who started pretty much every game he played for the Chargers, is still available right now. He did have a shoulder injury last October that cost him his 2024 season, but he should be good to go by now. The Lions once had interest in Samuel ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft. They met with him multiple times virtually since it was the COVID-19 era of the draft process. He could come in on a short-term deal and immediately flex into the rotation and make this cornerback room super deep while also giving himself a chance to show the rest of the league that he's fully healthy.
Stephon Gilmore
This one seems pretty unlikely, but we'll throw it out there. The future Hall of Famer still wants to play and is looking for an opportunity. The thing is, I don't know if he's willing to go play at a place where he's not going to be a starter. If he's willing to do that and be the veteran who can come in and make big contributions off the bench for a chance to go to the Super Bowl, then this one works pretty well. If he wants more than that, then he's going to have to go elsewhere.
Ajene Harris
Harris has been one of the best defensive players in the UFL in the last two seasons. He was on the ALL-UFL team in 2024 and 2025. Harris has struggled to get shots in the NFL since his rookie season with the Eagles, and he is on the older side of things at this point, but this is a guy who works hard and loves football enough to play in Canada and every different league in the States. Why not give him a chance this summer?
