The Detroit Lions were missing starting safety Ifeatu Melifonwu during the season opener on September 8. But rather than sign another safety as insurance, the Bleacher Report NFL scouting department argued the Lions should make adding cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon their top priority.
On September 9, the BR NFL scouting department named Witherspoon the player the Lions should “add now.”
“Cornerback has been an issue for the Lions since last season and while the front office took steps to address the position in the offseason, Emmanuel Moseley beginning the year on injured reserve continues to make it a sore spot on the roster,” wrote the department.
“Witherspoon is the best corner available at this stage as he’s coming off a career-high 14 passes defended for the Rams last season. That’d be a welcomed addition to the Motor City and give the team another potential starting option in the secondary.”
Witherspoon recorded 52 combined tackles, including 3 tackles for loss, 14 pass defenses, 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries for the Los Angeles Rams last season.
What Ahkello Witherspoon Could Bring to the Lions
It’s surprising that Witherspoon didn’t find another job for the 2024 season. Although he has been a bit of a journeyman throughout his seven-year NFL career, he experienced a breakout season for the Rams in 2023.
Witherspoon started all 17 regular season games and then a playoff game for Los Angeles last season. He posted new career highs with 52 combined tackles, including 3 tackles for loss and 14 pass defenses. Witherspoon also tied a career best with 3 interceptions.
The veteran cornerback posted an average player grade at Pro Football Focus. But it’s possible that could be explained by his expanded playing time. Witherspoon lined up for 1,115 defensive snaps and recorded 692 snaps in coverage. In 2022, he had 248 defensive snaps and 162 snaps in coverage.
Any cornerback with that kind of expansion in playing time is probably going to be exposed a little.
Witherspoon also posted a very low tackle grade of 36 (out of 100). That likely brought down his overall PFF defensive grade. The analytical website awarded Witherspoon a good grade in run defense and average grade in coverage.
Although Witherspoon had never started every game of a season until last year, he did have 40 starts before joining the Rams. He played his first four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and then two years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A veteran with that kind of experience coming off his best season could be a valuable addition to any secondary in the league.
Dan Campbell Praises Rookie CB Terrion Arnold After Shaky NFL Debut
As the Bleacher Report scouting department mentioned, the Lions are without Emmanuel Moseley to begin this season. However, it’s debatable whether Moseley would be starting anyway.
The Lions acquired Carlton Davis through a trade on the first day of free agency and then drafted Terrion Arnold in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Those two cornerbacks started in Week 1 against the Rams.
Arnold earned a PFF player grade of 57.8 in his regular season debut. His most notable mistakes were two pass interference penalties, which led to Rams points in the second half.
But that didn’t leave Lions head coach Dan Campbell discouraged.
“I didn’t feel like it was some blatant like, ‘Oh he is out, bad position or I need to talk to him about it.’ I don’t want to take away his stinger, man,” Campbell said in his postgame press conference. “I want him to play aggressive, and I thought he did some really good things today.
Arnold played 76 of the team’s 78 defensive snaps in Week 1. Davis played every single snap.
So, it’s not clear exactly how Witherspoon would fit into the cornerback rotation in Detroit. He would very likely not start. But, he could provide valuable depth especially with Brian Branch splitting his snaps between safety and cornerback while Melifonwu is sidelined.
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Lions Encouraged to Add ‘Best Corner Available’