The Detroit Lions second cornerback spot across from D.J. Reed is wide open now that Terrion Arnold is not with the team. While early indications are that veteran Rock Ya-Sin will compete with former draft pick Ennis Rakestraw, Nick Whiteside is another throwing his name into the competition in the early portions of training camp.
Whiteside is entering his fourth NFL season and second with the Lions but it looks like he is getting his first real chance to earn a starting spot. Whiteside was one of the standout names of the first day of training camp. Dan Campbell called him out before the second day, saying that he looked like a player all about business and that he wants to win a job.
It is still early, but fans have to take note of Whiteside.
The Detroit Lions Are Giving Nick Whiteside a Legitimate Chance at Outside Cornerback
GettyDetroit Lions former second-round cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Whiteside was a UDFA signed by the Washington Commanders out of Saginaw Valley State. He spent most of his rookie year on the practice squad, but did get called up and played 15 snaps as a rookie.
However, he was cut by the Commanders the next summer and spent his 2024 season in the UFL. In 2025, he caught on with the Lions. He was mostly a practice squad participant again. However, he did get called up and played 51 snaps.
Whiteside showed enough promise that the team decided to keep him around. Now that he enters his fourth season in the NFL, the depth chart is starting to open up, giving him a chance to seize a job.
Lions Have Open Competition at Cornerback
While most are projecting Rakestraw and Ya-Sin ahead of Whiteside, there is good reason to think he can catch up to them quickly.
Ya-Sin is entering his eighth NFL season. He has 45 career starts. His experience helps. However, there is a good reason why he only has that many starts over that many seasons. The team values his depth and ability to come in and play in a pinch, but they do not view him as a starter.
The Lions are his fifth team, and fifth in the past six years, showing that he is not a trusted threat.
Rakestraw has the potential of a former second-round pick. However, he has hardly played during his first two seasons due to injury. They want him to get a chance, but know it is hard to trust him to stay on the field.
As the competition builds, there is no telling if Rakestraw can even stay healthy, which might clear an easier path for Whiteside.
The team also has Roger McCreary and Keith Abney. Both could play on the outside, but right now it looks like they are the two battling for the slot work.
The rest of the depth includes Khalil Dorsey, De’Shawn Rucker, and Aamaris Brown. Rucker and Brown are rookie UDFAs, so unless the Lions found a gem in one of them, it would likely be Whiteside with a golden chance to step up this summer.
Lions Defender Emerging as Surprise Training Camp Standout