The Detroit Lions‘ secondary is the most problematic unit on the team’s weakest side of the football and will threaten to derail the upcoming season if the front office doesn’t address the issue before summer is out.
Detroit’s decision to cut ties with cornerback Terrion Arnold, currently free on a $1 million bond while awaiting trial on four counts of kidnapping and four counts of armed robbery, only weakened what was already a soft unit lacking both high-end talent and depth.
The natural move would be to face the deficiency head on and add a CB, though the most viable options to do so aren’t necessarily that much better than the Lions’ current plan, which is to promote 2025 reserve defensive back Rock Ya-Sin to a starting role on the outside.
Another way for Detroit to get at the issue is to cross its fingers that star safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch can each get back healthy for most of the upcoming campaign and then add talent to the pass rush alongside Aidan Hutchinson.
A strong edge rush can take pressure off the secondary by impacting QB accuracy and reducing coverage times for cornerbacks, which will be particularly important if defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard wants to continue playing as much man coverage as he did last season.
One potential option for the Lions is a trade for pass-rusher Alex Highsmith of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Alex Highsmith Logical Trade Candidate, Lions Sensible Suitors
GettyPittsburgh Steelers edge-rusher Alex Highsmith.
Highsmith is entering his age-29 campaign in 2026, which will be his seventh NFL season.
He has two years remaining on his $68 million contract, which runs through 2027. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh also staffs two other highly-paid pass-rushers in TJ Watt and Nick Herbig, who recently signed extensions for three years at a total of $123 million and four years for $100 million, respectively.
Given the context, Bill Barnwell of ESPN suggested last month that Highsmith is a logical trade candidate, either before the season begins in mid-September or ahead of the league’s early November trade deadline.
“[Highsmith is] a player who is sort of in the prime, maybe sort of coming to the point where he will be exiting his prime in the next year or two,” Barnwell said. “He does not have much time left in his contract, and the money he has left is not guaranteed, so there is a lot of flexibility with Alex Highsmith that is not necessarily there with TJ Watt.”
Alex Highsmith Has Been Consistent Producer of QB Pressure During NFL Career
GettyPass-rusher Alex Highsmith of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Highsmith led the Steelers defense with 9.5 sacks last season and has tallied a total of 45 sacks during his time in the league, as well as 64 tackles for loss. He has produced fewer than six sacks just once in his career, which came during his rookie campaign, while his high was 14.5 sacks in 2022.
Beyond just productive, Highsmith has also proven relatively reliable from an availability standpoint. He has appeared in 90 of a possible 101 regular-season contests since 2020 and earned 79 starts along the way.
Pro Football Focus ranked Highsmith the No. 13 edge defender last season out of 115 players at the position who saw enough snaps to qualify. He finished the campaign with 44 total pressures and 25 quarterback hurries across 13 games played.
Lions Trade Proposal Nets 45-Sack Edge After Terrion Arnold Cut