The Detroit Lions have yet to look gritty during the 2026 NFL season. Detroit is 2-2 after getting crushed by Carolina because their defense simply cannot stop anyone. One NFL insider is begging Detroit to make a trade to upgrade their defense before it is too late.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler named the Lions as one team that desperately needs to make a trade to upgrade their roster. It should be no surprise that he suggested Detroit upgrade their defensive secondary.
“The Lions should make a move for a cornerback. They were in on Joey Porter Jr. before Pittsburgh traded him to Dallas. Detroit's secondary is swimming right now, and though safety Brian Branch is close to a return and safety Kerby Joseph should eventually be back, the Lions don't have enough corner help to run the coverages they want,” Fowler wrote. “This team has elite players on both sides of the ball and must embrace its window of contention, whether it's slipping away or not.”
Detroit has the worst defense in the entire NFL by a wide margin. They've allowed 423.8 yards per game this season, which is 30 yards per game worse than the next team. The biggest problem is their depleted secondary that hasn't been able to consistently slow down opponents thus far.
So who could the Lions trade for?
Fowler pointed to a pair of veteran cornerbacks who could come in and become immediate starters.
Article Continues Below“One potential option is Kansas City's Kristian Fulton, who is in and out of the Chiefs' lineup. He is owed real money — $5 million of his $9.75 million base salary is guaranteed — but perhaps the Chiefs and Lions could split the bill to facilitate a deal,” Fowler suggested. “Is it worth calling Pittsburgh for Jalen Ramsey? Not sure he's available, but the Lions' defense seems far from settled.”
The Lions could use all the help they can get in the secondary. But it remains to be seen if Detroit's front office will look to acquire new talent before the trade deadline.
Next up for the Lions is a road game against the Cardinals. This NFC contest kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Oct. 11 from State Farm Stadium in Glendale.