The Detroit Lions have won three straight games heading into Sunday’s trip to Miami, but their defense still has one glaring weakness.
Detroit’s run defense has been stout, ranking ninth in yards per game (96.6). The pass defense, on the other hand, ranks dead last in the NFL (276.6 yards per game) and is tied for the most passing touchdowns allowed (18).
The Lions’ secondary has been the glaring issue. However, help could be on the way.
Detroit has already kicked the tires on cornerback help. Head coach Dan Campbell acknowledged the team engaged in trade talks for Joey Porter Jr. before he landed with the Dallas Cowboys.
And with the Nov. 10 trade deadline fast approaching, ESPN’s Aaron Schatz has thrown a new name into the mix — one the Lions will see up close on Sunday.
Dolphins CB JuJu Brents Named Trade Fit for Lions
It hasn’t helped that the Lions have been down a starting cornerback since releasing Terrion Arnold in June following his arrest on felony charges in Florida, which he has denied.
Safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch also opened the season on the PUP list. And 2024 second-round pick Ennis Rakestraw Jr. was benched in Week 8.
That’s why Schatz recently tabbed Miami Dolphins cornerback JuJu Brents as a player Detroit should target.
“Who should they target? Dolphins CB JuJu Brents,” Schatz wrote. “The Lions’ secondary is helped immensely by getting safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch back from injury, but they could still use another cornerback.
“Brents becomes a free agent at the end of this season and has been surprisingly effective for the Dolphins, ranking third among qualifying cornerbacks in my coverage DVOA metric behind Trent McDuffie and Jahdae Barron.”
Brents, a former second-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, has a decent trade market out there for CB-needy teams.
The Lions aren’t the only team that could be interested. A to Z Sports pitched Brents to the Cincinnati Bengals for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
What Brents Would Add to the Lions
At 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds, the 26-year-old Brents has the size Detroit’s man-heavy scheme needs on the outside.
Injuries have been an issue. Brents tore his MCL and meniscus in Week 1 of 2024, and the Colts waived him the following August. Miami claimed him, only to lose him to season-ending foot surgery last November.
When healthy, though, he’s shown flashes of potential. Brents allowed just three catches for 15 yards on six targets with a pass breakup against the Bengals in Week 5, according to Pro Football Focus. That includes an end-zone breakup on Ja’Marr Chase.
He also recovered a fumble while playing 50 snaps against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
It should be noted that his coverage numbers aren’t elite across the board. Brents has allowed a 101.0 passer rating when targeted, according to PFF.
He’s in the final year of his four-year, $8.2 million rookie contract and is making $1.9 million in base salary this season, none of it guaranteed. He’s set to hit free agency next offseason, so his trade value shouldn’t be steep. The Dolphins could also be incentivized to get something back for him than lose him for nothing in March.
Flipping a pending free agent for a Day 3 pick would make plenty of sense for Miami.
Lions Trade Pitch Lands Former 2nd-Round Pick to Bolster Struggling Secondary