Discussion: What position should the Detroit Lions target at the trade deadline?

The Detroit Lions are 5-2, sitting in first place in the NFC North and tied with the San Francisco 49ers for second place in the entire conference. It’s a great start for a franchise that hasn’t won a division title in over 30 years, and a promising step for the Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes era.

But Sunday’s blowout at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens was a stark reminder that this team is far from perfect. They’re good—potentially very good—but this roster is not without its blemishes.

Even if Holmes was perfectly happy with the roster as it is, the NFL trade deadline—which is exactly a week from Tuesday—is an opportunity to potentially upgrade a position and add some talent for a deep playoff run. We’ve already seen the Philadelphia Eagles add to their strong and talented roster, so Detroit should, at the very least, be having serious conversations about adding talent.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Which position should the Lions be looking to upgrade at the trade deadline?

My answer: The easiest answer for me is outside cornerback. That has been the thinnest position on the roster since training camp, and now with the season-ending injury to Emmanuel Moseley, there is, quite literally, no depth beyond the starters. Will Harris is a fine mid-game replacement in case of injury, but he should not be your starter. Khalil Dorsey is a solid special teams player, and Steven Gilmore is a developmental piece.

The Lions not only need depth, but if we’re being completely honest with ourselves, even their starters could use an upgrade. Cameron Sutton is a good, reliable veteran and will be a starter on this team for the next few years, but he’s not exactly a No. 1 shutdown corner. Jerry Jacobs is a fighter, scrapper, and very capable starter, but that doesn’t mean his position couldn’t be upgraded either.

Detroit should also consider being in the market for an edge rusher, though those are typically a bit harder to find—and more expensive. While the Lions’ defensive front is deep, it’s not exactly blooming with top-tier talent. If Detroit is going to go this route, they need to be swinging for the fences for elite players like Brian Burns, Danielle Hunter, or Chase Young—though, again, I doubt the availability of some of these players.

Regardless, Detroit could certainly use some game-changing talent on defense. That’s not to say their roster is poor on that side of the ball. Conversely, I think the depth there is good. It just feels like they could use a superstar or two to really disrupt opposing offenses.

Your turn. Scroll to the bottom of the page and offer your thoughts in our comment section.