Optimism in Detroit: Lions Bank on Carlton Davis III to Lead Cornerbacks…
“One of the major issues last season was the performance of their outside cornerbacks. While the team addressed this by drafting Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw, acquiring a veteran like Carlton Davis III could be the most significant improvement for this position group. Last season, the highest tight coverage percentage among their outside corners was Jerry Jacobs, who ranked 39th out of 62 qualifiers with a 20.7% rate.
Carlton Davis III had a tight coverage rate that was 30 spots higher than Jerry Jacobs, the best outside cornerback the Lions had in that category last year.
Although a high tight coverage rate doesn’t always mean success on those targets, as evidenced by Darius Slay’s 63.5 grade—the second-worst among 62 qualifying cornerbacks with at least 50 tight coverage designations, it does indicate a player’s ability to be in position to make plays. Slay allowed 10 catches on contested targets, tied for the ninth-most, but also had 14 pass breakups, equal to the combined total of Sutton and Jacobs for the Lions last year.
The Lions are optimistic that a scheme better suited to Davis’ strengths will help him return to his peak performance from a few years ago. While it remains to be seen if this will happen, there is evidence suggesting they made the right decision after missing out with Sutton in the 2023 free agency.”
