Getty Cameron Sutton celebrates an interception for the Steelers in 2022.
The Detroit Lions struggled in plenty of ways during the 2022 season, but arguably, their biggest problems were on defense.
Detroit allowed big plays and struggled to contain teams most of the year, and it was part of the biggest reason for their dreadful 1-6 start which put them behind. Heading into 2023, though, folks seem to understand that cornerback
Already, Pro Football Focus and writer Brad Spielberger have given them a top target. In a piece running down the list of the one defensive free agent every team should pursue, a suggestion came in the form of Cameron Sutton of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As Spielberger wrote, Detroit’s secondary was awful this season in terms of maintaining players, and as a result, they need a big depth boost.
“In the secondary, the Lions were nearly devoid of talent, going so far as to move safety Will Harris to cornerback. They need to add reinforcements to the secondary, and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn was a defensive backs coach in New Orleans before joining Dan Campbell in Detroit,” Spielberger wrote.
Specifically as it relates to Sutton’s fit, Speilberger sees a player that blossomed as he transitioned to starter status, and someone who is position versatile on the back end as offering value to Detroit.
“Sutton earned a career-best 72.2 grade as a full-time starter in 2022, allowing just 0.76 yards per coverage snap, good for 11th among cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps on the season. He offers inside/outside versatility as well, though he’s been a starter on the outside the last two seasons,” Spielberger said.
Adding a player like Sutton to shore up a bad group would seem to be a big bonus for the Lions. The team needs help at the position, and Sutton has been a solid pro since he came into the league in 2017 out of Tennessee.
For right now, he is the one defender that is being given an early bullseye toward Detroit for some in the analyst community.
Sutton’s Career Stats & Highlights
Sutton is still a very young player, being that he is just 27 and came into the league as a third-round pick out of Tennessee in 2017.
In college, Sutton was productive for the Volunteers given he racked up 127 tackles and seven interceptions. He also had one touchdown and 30 passes defended to go with three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries while in school.
Coming to the NFL, things haven’t been different. Sutton has produced stats in the league as well, with 158 tackles, two sacks, seven interceptions and five forced fumbles since he burst on the scene.
Sutton could be primed for a bigger role, and the Lions could have the means and the motivation to pay up for a young player that is seemingly on the rise for the future.
Lions Defense Needs Offseason Upgrades
The idea of nabbing a player like Sutton could prove as smart for the Lions, who were disastrous on defense in 2022.
Detroit finished the season ranked 32nd overall, which included ugly marks against the pass. The Lions allowed 4,179 yards and 26 scores through the air en-route to finishing 30th overall against the pass. This could help push Detroit to take a closer look at the secondary in terms of the bigger upgrades they desire.
As it stands now, the Lions have a top 12 cap space total for 2023 already according to Spotrac, who had the team at around $18 million under the cap this offseason. That could allow them to splurge on a middle-tier free agent like Sutton.
It could be expected that the Lions use the majority of their assets during the draft to add young talent. It served them well with the 2022 class, which is grading out one of the best in the league.
Between free agency and the draft, the Lions will have plenty of opportunity to help their team. A player like Sutton could offer the right blend of youth and experience to help the roster at this point.