5 Cornerbacks Lions Could Target After Joey Porter Jr. Trade

The Detroit Lions took their shot at Joey Porter Jr., but the former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback is headed somewhere else. That doesn't necessarily mean Brad Holmes is finished looking for help in Detroit's secondary.

Dallas acquired Porter from Pittsburgh for a 2027 sixth-round pick and a 2028 second-round selection after multiple teams showed interest. The Lions had explored a potential deal for Porter , giving us a significant clue about how Holmes views his current cornerback situation.

Detroit's interest matters because this wasn't simply outside speculation connecting a talented player to a contender. Holmes was willing to investigate adding another starting-caliber cornerback, and missing on Porter doesn't eliminate the reasons Detroit made that call in the first place.

The Lions can now turn elsewhere if Holmes remains interested in upgrading the position. There are several very different paths he could take depending on whether Detroit wants a long-term starter, a veteran rental or a low-cost gamble.

Mike Payton Identifies Five Potential Lions Targets

Mike Payton of A to Z Sports identified five cornerbacks who could make sense for Detroit following the Porter trade. His list includes Zyon McCollum , Riley Moss , Donte Jackson , Marlon Humphrey and Cam Taylor-Britt .

It's an intriguing collection because those five players would represent dramatically different types of acquisitions. McCollum and Moss could potentially become pieces beyond 2026, Jackson offers veteran experience, Humphrey would represent an aggressive win-now move, and Taylor-Britt could be the inexpensive change-of-scenery gamble.

There is an important distinction to make before going any further. None of these five players has been reported as an active Lions trade target, so they should be viewed as potential fits rather than players Holmes is known to be pursuing.

Still, Detroit's interest in Porter changes the conversation surrounding potential cornerback trades. Holmes has already demonstrated that he is at least willing to explore options outside the organization.

Zyon McCollum Would Be Much More Than a Rental

If Detroit wants another young outside corner rather than a temporary fix, Zyon McCollum is one of the most interesting possibilities. The 27-year-old Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback stands 6-foot-2 and has developed into an established NFL starter.

McCollum would also require considerably more commitment than a typical in-season acquisition. He signed a three-year, $48 million extension with Tampa Bay , so acquiring him would mean bringing a significant contract onto Detroit's books beyond the current season.

That long-term commitment is also part of the appeal. Instead of spending draft capital on a player who could leave after the season, Detroit could potentially pair McCollum with D.J. Reed and create some stability on the outside.

Holmes would have to decide whether that stability is worth the financial investment and whatever Tampa Bay would demand in return. This wouldn't be a simple October rental designed to survive a few months.

Riley Moss Could Give Lions Another Young Building Block

Riley Moss represents another potential path toward a younger solution. The 26-year-old Denver Broncos cornerback is in the final season of his rookie contract and already has substantial starting experience.

Denver's depth at cornerback makes Moss an interesting player to watch, although there is no indication the Broncos are actively trying to move him. Patrick Surtain II anchors the secondary, while Ja'Quan McMillian and 2025 first-round pick Jahdae Barron give Denver additional talent at the position.

The challenge for Detroit would be convincing a competitive Broncos team to surrender a useful defensive back. Teams with postseason expectations generally don't trade players who can help them win unless the return makes the decision worthwhile.

Moss would nevertheless fit Detroit's competitive timeline. The Lions could add a cornerback still entering his prime and then decide after the season whether he deserves a longer commitment.

Donte Jackson Would Be the Straightforward Rental

If Holmes prefers a shorter-term solution, Donte Jackson becomes considerably more interesting. The veteran cornerback brings extensive starting experience without requiring Detroit to commit significant future money beyond this season.

Jackson is 31, so nobody would mistake this for a long-term solution to Detroit's cornerback situation. The attraction would be adding an experienced defender for a team attempting to make another deep postseason run.

Sometimes that is exactly what a contender needs at the trade deadline. Detroit doesn't necessarily have to identify its starting cornerbacks for the next four seasons before improving the 2026 roster.

The Lions also have reason to continue evaluating what they already have in the building. Ennis Rakestraw Jr. earned additional opportunities from Dan Campbell after an encouraging performance against the Jets , and his development could influence how aggressively Detroit pursues outside help.

Adding a veteran wouldn't necessarily block Rakestraw's opportunity, either. Detroit can continue developing its former second-round pick while strengthening the overall depth of a secondary that will inevitably deal with injuries and difficult matchups over a 17-game season.

Marlon Humphrey Would Be the All-In Move

Then there is Marlon Humphrey , who would represent a completely different level of acquisition. If Jackson is the practical veteran option, Humphrey would be the aggressive swing for a team convinced it can win right now.

Humphrey has spent his entire career with Baltimore and brings a résumé that none of the other four players on this list can match. He has earned multiple Pro Bowl selections and possesses the versatility to play outside or move around the secondary depending on the matchup.

The financial component would make any potential deal complicated. Humphrey carries a significant contract, and Baltimore would have its own cap considerations before even deciding whether moving one of its most recognizable defenders makes football sense.

Detroit would therefore need several things to align before a Humphrey trade became realistic. The Ravens would have to be willing to listen, the compensation would have to fit Holmes' valuation, and Detroit would need to be comfortable absorbing the financial commitment.

The appeal is easy to understand despite those obstacles. Humphrey is the type of established veteran a contender acquires because it believes one additional impact defender could matter in January.

Cam Taylor-Britt Could Be the Low-Cost Wild Card

Cam Taylor-Britt might be the most intriguing gamble of the five because his current value is difficult to determine. The former Cincinnati Bengals starter is now with Indianapolis and hasn't occupied the same prominent defensive role he once held.

Taylor-Britt started 40 games during four seasons with Cincinnati, so there is a meaningful NFL résumé beneath his current situation. Detroit also has familiarity with him from the pre-draft process after hosting him before the Bengals selected him in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

That history doesn't mean Holmes is interested now, but it does remove some of the mystery surrounding the player. Detroit's scouting department already did extensive work on Taylor-Britt before he entered the league.

A change of scenery could make sense if Indianapolis doesn't view him as a significant part of its defense. For Detroit, the attraction would be betting on a talented player whose value may currently be lower than it was earlier in his career.

Those are the kinds of transactions that can pay off without requiring a contender to sacrifice premium draft capital. Holmes has never been afraid to trust his evaluations when another organization views a player differently.

Joey Porter Jr. Trade Should Keep Brad Holmes Calling

Missing on Porter doesn't mean the Lions should suddenly panic and trade for the first cornerback who becomes available. It does, however, reveal that Holmes was willing to investigate making a meaningful addition to his secondary.

That matters because Detroit's original reasons for calling Pittsburgh didn't disappear when Dallas completed the trade. Porter simply became unavailable, forcing the Lions to decide whether there is another player worth pursuing at the right price.

McCollum and Moss would represent potential investments beyond this season. Jackson and Humphrey offer different levels of veteran experience, while Taylor-Britt presents the kind of lower-cost gamble that could produce significant value if Detroit believes it can unlock him.

The financial component will also matter, especially with several Lions eventually requiring new contracts of their own. A look at the NFL's current cornerback contracts shows how dramatically the commitment can change depending on whether Holmes targets a younger established starter or a short-term veteran.

Maybe one of these five players ends up wearing Honolulu blue before the trade deadline. Maybe Holmes has another name on his board that hasn't surfaced publicly at all.

What we know is that the Lions were interested enough in Porter to make the call. Now that Porter is a Cowboy, Holmes has to decide whether there is another cornerback worth calling about.