The Detroit Lions have been tied to cornerback Joey Porter Jr. often in the past couple of weeks. However, if the team does not want to pay the high price to add the young and ascending cornerback, there are other avenues to fill their need in the secondary.
Tyson Campbell of the Cleveland Browns has a lot of the upside that Porter does and would not cost as much in trade capital, according to Zachary Rottman of FanSided.
“If the Lions are unable to get Porter or unwilling to pay a high asking price for a cornerback, might they be interested in acquiring another 26-year-old cornerback, Tyson Campbell? He’s not as good as Porter, but Campbell recorded 87 tackles and one interception in 2025, and he has 72 starts in parts of six seasons,” wrote Rottman. “He also happens to already be under contract through 2028, so the Lions wouldn’t need to worry about extending him right away.”
Rottman projects the Lions can add Campbell for a third- and fourth-round pick. Meanwhile, Porter would cost a first-round pick in a trade. Porter is due an extension at the end of this season, while Campbell is signed. So, it does make for an interesting decision.
Detroit Lions Could Trade Cleveland Browns for Tyson Campbell
Campbell is in his sixth NFL season, and Porter is in his fourth. However, Campbell is only a couple of months older than Porter. Campbell was an underclassman while Porter came out as a senior.
Campbell went 33rd overall, the first pick of the second round, while Porter went 32nd overall, but still at the first pick of the second round. Porter is coming off a strong campaign, while Campbell got traded in 2025 and was banged up at times.
So, his reputation is worse than Porter’s, but on paper, the difference in the player is not worth the difference in trade capital.
The Lions would have to extend Porter after trading for him. He is expecting to get paid near the top of the market at cornerback. Meanwhile, trading for Campbell would mean having him locked down through the 2028 season. His cap hits in 2027 and 2028 are just $18.8M per year.
It is more economical to trade for Campbell with potentially the same impact.
Lions Need to Make a Secondary Change
The Lions need to do something to make a change in their secondary. At safety, things are weak, but they are expected to get some starters back. Both Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph are expected to play this season.
So, the Lions just have to get through a couple of weeks. They have three options in the slot. They just need to find one to step up. However, outside cornerback needs to be addressed.
The team did not do enough to upgrade the room after releasing Terrion Arnold. Rock Ya-Sin is already being called to be benched. He is expected to start for the foreseeable future if the team does not make a move. So, the urge to trade for Campbell is there.
Lions Urged to Trade for $76.5M Joey Porter Jr. Alternative