In this installment of our Detroit Lions 2026 training camp preview series, we shift back to the defensive secondary by examining the Lions’ cornerbacks, speculating on current and future roles, and discussing how many players from this group could make the 53-man roster.
Previous training camp previews:
- Quarterback: Can Luke Altmyer force a QB3 role?
- Running back: How RB roles could shift in 2026
- Wide receiver: WR depth roles up for grabs
- Tight end: How many TEs will make the roster?
- Offensive tackle: Can Blake Miller win the starting RT job?
- Interior OL: How quickly will Cade Mays adapt to scheme?
- Defensive tackles: DT has upgraded starters, questionable depth
- Edge rushers: 4 big questions at the EDGE
- Linebackers: Adapting the LB room
Roster construction
Under the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell regime, the Lions have fluctuated in the number of cornerbacks on the active roster, typically keeping five or six corners active, but have adjusted the room
as injuries piled up. Let’s take a look at what they’ve done at corner in the previous five seasons:
- 2021: Started the season with six, but ended with just five.
- 2022: Repeated the previous season by starting with six and ending with five.
- 2023: The Lions opened and ended with seven, but only kept six active on game days.
- 2024: They started with six and ended with just four, though three contributors finished the season on injured reserve.
- 2025: Opened the season with five corners, but after only a month, injuries mounted, and the room fluctuated between five and seven corners throughout the season, ending with six corners
Starter turnover and Nickel defense
The Lions’ secondary was forced to undergo a series of changes this offseason; some decisions were purposeful, while others were forced upon them.
At outside cornerback, D.J. Reed (10 starts in 2025) returns for 2026, and while he is coming off an injury that cost him nearly two months of the regular season, expectations are that he will enter training camp healthy. Rock Ya-Sin (six starts) re-signed and is expected to open training camp in the starting lineup, as previous starters Terrion Arnold (seven starts) was released following his arrest and Amik Robertson (10 starts) departed in free agency.
Ennis Rakestraw returns for his third season in Detroit, but he is coming off an injury that cost him the entire 2025 season. While he has previously challenged for inside and outside roles, newly acquired Roger McCreary started in the slot during spring practices and is expected to stay in that role entering training camp.
To round out the room, the Lions re-signed special teams ace Khalil Dorsey and Legion-of-whom hero Nick Whiteside, drafted Keith Abney in the fifth round, and signed UDFA De’Shawn Rucker following the conclusion of the draft.
The battleground
Will Rock Ya-Sin hold off challengers?
Following Arnold’s release, the presumption is that Ya-Sin will open training camp as the starter opposite Reed. He was the preferred choice last season, and stylistically, he is a terrific fit for the Lions’ man-heavy scheme. While he was likely initially signed to fill out the Lions’ outside CB3 role, the drop-off from Arnold (who was full of potential but lacked on-field production) to Ya-Sin isn’t as dramatic as it looks on paper.
That being said, Ya-Sin won’t simply be gifted a starting role, and he will face some competition in camp, most notably from former second-round pick Ennis Rakestraw. Injuries have plagued the young corner in his first two seasons in the NFL, but Rakestraw’s spent the last year adding “a bit of bulk” via the Lions’ strength and conditioning staff, and enters camp with a more “dense” frame in order to help his body get prepared for this season.
With Rakestraw missing all of last season, it’s easy to forget the toughness, aggression, and energy he plays with. He’s stylistically a very good fit for the Lions’ coverage scheme, and he’s an above-average run defender. His lack of playing time in the NFL will be an obstacle for him to overcome, and likely why Ya-Sin will get the nod over him at the beginning of camp.
Ya-Sin could also face competition from Roger McCreary, however…
Will an increase in Nickel packages keep McCreary in the slot?
The Lions used more base formations (three linebackers) than any team in the NFL last season, and as a result, only deployed a nickel corner on about half their defensive snaps. With a significant shift in the linebacker room, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard acknowledged that the team plans on leaning on more nickel packages in 2026, which increases the value and opportunities for their cornerbacks this season.
McCreary spent spring practices (OTAs and minicamp) working in the slot, but Arnold’s release over the summer has the potential to shake things up. McCreary has the range and experience to challenge Ya-Sin and Rakestraw for a starting role on the outside, but the anticipated increase in nickel subpackages could mean that he may be more valuable sticking inside.
We should find out very quickly what the Lions’ plans are for McCreary, once camp practices begin.
Any sleeper challengers?
Of the remaining cornerbacks on the roster, the biggest wild card is rookie Keith Abney. Widely viewed as a Top 100 player in this draft class, Abney slid to Day 3, and the Lions seized the opportunity to select him.
Abney started in the slot for two seasons in college before shifting outside for his final year, giving him valuable experience to compete at multiple spots in the secondary. He’s gritty (top 30 on the Grit Index with a 9.07 score), competitive, physical, and productive around the ball due to his elite read-and-react explosion. While his frame (5-foot-10, 187 pounds) and skill set point to him having the potential to challenge for a starting slot role, Abney also possesses traits that will mirror D.J. Reed, suggesting he should also be given an opportunity on the outside.
Abney is another player who will see more opportunities with the Lions increasing their use of subpackages. As a rookie, he will have a lot of work to do in order to prove he can be trusted on the field, but his competitiveness, confidence, and developmental upside are too promising to rule out.
Do the Lions HAVE to sign a veteran corner?
Following Arnold’s release, initial reactions expected the Lions to try to secure a veteran corner for the room. While that is certainly still a possibility, it’s also important to recognize that roster spots could be difficult to find.
Reed, Ya-Sin, McCreary, Rakestraw, and Abney should all be heavy favorites to earn a spot on the roster, leaving one or two spots potentially available. Special teams ace Khalil Dorsey should have a strong case to justify one of the remaining spots, but is there another available?
If there is room to keep a seventh corner, a veteran could make a lot of sense for depth. Outside corners Marshon Lattimore, Tre’Davious White, and Trevon Diggs remain available free agents who fit the scheme, but have struggled in recent seasons, while Kenny Moore could be an option in the slot if McCreary is shifted into the outside corner competition.
So do the Lions HAVE to sign a veteran corner? No. But it’s worth considering, if only for training camp.
