With Detroit's woeful defense a national storyline after the Carolina Panthers were the latest team to torch the Lions' secondary last week, Pro Football Focus listed two cornerbacks the Lions could acquire in a trade to help turn the tide.
PFF listed Tampa Bay Buccaneers corner Zyon McCollum and New York Jets corner Brandon Stephens as potential trade fits. The Lions desperately need cornerback depth alongside DJ Reed, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Roger McCreary, Rock Ya-Sin, Khalil Dorsey, and rookie Keith Abney II.
Here is what PFF said about both McCollum and Stephens:
CB Zyon McCollum, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
McCollum enjoyed a tremendous start to the 2024 season, but since then, his production has certainly waned. Over the first four games of 2026, McCollum sports just a 58.3 PFF coverage
grade, although his passer rating against (80.4) and forced incompletion rate (13.3%) are both in at least the 60th percentile.
In the first year of a three-year, $48 million extension, McCollum is another defender the Buccaneers could look to shed. The Steelers could reunite McCollum with Jamel Dean after trading away Porter, while the Lions urgently need more talent in their secondary. The Bears and Bengals could also make particular sense given McCollum’s superior man coverage work (69.4 PFF coverage grade) and their higher rates of utilizing the look, although McCollum was actually better in zone in 2024 and 2025. Raiders general manager John Spytek may make some calls to his former organization, too.
CB Brandon Stephens, New York Jets
Stephens has become an effective cornerback since joining the Jets last offseason. Since the start of 2025, his 70.2 overall PFF grade ranks 14th out of 40 qualified corners. Stephens has also tightened up his coverage this year, with his 74.4 PFF coverage mark the ninth-highest at the position.
How much the 1-3 Jets will sell is unknown, but general manager Darren Mougey always seems open for business. Given that Stephens is a 2028 free agent and the team drafted D’Angelo Ponds in the second round, a trade may not be that implausible. Pittsburgh and Detroit could have interest given their needs, while Stephens’ 88.7 man coverage grade would be enticing to Chicago and Cincinnati.
While general manager Brad Holmes has been adamant about sticking with his current group, the Lions desperately need to add defensive talent in the secondary, or their competitive window could slam shut fast.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: PFF names Detroit Lions as potential trade fits for pair of CBs
