Cornerback Carlton Davis is one of the Detroit Lions’ main priorities as they assess more than 30 pending free agents in the 2025 offseason.
Davis had a big impression for Detroit before sustaining a fractured jaw that ended his season. He was acquired through a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last offseason. He had the third-best completion rate of his career at 55.3%, and he recorded a career-low 77.0 passer rating allowed.
The Jacksonville Jaguars may express interest in the veteran cornerback, who is expected to get a three-year, $41.3 million contract, according to Spotrac, as Davis is scheduled to become a free agent in March, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
According to Fowler, “some teams consider Davis the No. 2 cornerback in the free-agent class.”
“Watch for a possible migration here from Jacksonville. The Jaguars wish to bolster their secondary, but they are unlikely to be major free agency spenders.
Given their pass defense woes from the previous season, which saw them give up a league-high 257.4 passing yards per game, the Jaguars’ interest in Davis makes sense. Davis would give Jacksonville’s defense an instant, major boost.
But Davis’ history of injuries raises questions. He has never participated in a complete season and has never made more than 14 appearances in a single season.
The Lions’ assessment of 2024 second-round selection and cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr. likely determine whether they decide to bring Davis back. Rakestraw’s future is still unclear because he was unable to show much throughout the previous season.
Prior to his injury, the Lions had originally intended to start Rakestraw in the slot. They might review that strategy for 2024, or they might decide to maintain Amik Robertson in the slot, where he did well, and put Rakestraw on the outside.
According to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com, Rakestraw stated of the slot strategy, “A lot of people didn’t know that.” “It set me back because I got hurt during warm-ups.”
The Lions may save a lot of budget space by selecting Rakestraw as a starter in 2025, but doing so would come with danger for a team hoping to win the Super Bowl. In light of this, the Lions might still try to re-sign Davis.
Regardless of the result, there will probably be a lot of clubs vying for Davis’ services, and the Jaguars are anticipated to be one of them.