Towards the end of the 2023 season, there was a lot of chatter amongst Detroit Lions’ fans about the cornerback position. Did general manager Brad Holmes do enough in the offseason to solidify what has quickly become one of the most essential positions in the NFL?

As we know, the NFL game has changed dramatically in the last few decades. Gone are the days of ground-and-pound football. In the late 1990s and even into the early 2000s—many offenses were content with slamming their featured running back into the line of scrimmage 30-something times. Then, a few years later, everything changed in a big way.

Fast-forward to today where offenses have never been more dynamic and you begin to understand why such emphasis is placed on shoring up secondaries. It takes all 11 players to slow down modern-day offenses, but competent cornerback play can go a long way towards making life difficult for NFL quarterbacks.

In our latest video, Meko Scott and I break down the All-22 film of one of the Detroit Lions newest acquisitions: cornerback Carlton Davis III.

He has been banged up over the last few years, but make no mistake about it—when healthy, Davis is one of the more complete cornerbacks in the NFL. He is disciplined in zone coverage and willing to come up near the line of scrimmage to defend the run.

However, he may be at his best when tasked with covering an opposing a receiver in man-to-man coverage. He is supremely confident in his backpedal and change-of-direction abilities, and has a knack for getting his hands on the ball when a quarterback decides to throw it his way.