The Detroit Lions struck out on Joey Porter Jr. He’s headed to the Dallas Cowboys, and Jerry Jones gave up a pretty penny to get him. A bit more than we projected a week ago. But don’t crash out just yet, Lions fans. There are still options out there. We’ve got five to consider, along with what they might cost to trade for.

Zyon McCollum, Buccaneers

The Bucs are in rough shape right now, and they very much look like a team that’s on the verge of a full-on rebuild. McCollum is still playing pretty well, though. He’s only 27, he’s 6-foot-2, and he’s developed into a legitimate starting outside corner. For the Lions, this wouldn’t just be a move to get through the 2026 season. McCollum could step right into Detroit’s secondary and give them a long-term answer opposite D.J. Reed.

The financial side is where this one gets a little more complicated. McCollum signed a three-year, $48 million extension with Tampa Bay last year, so Detroit would be trading for more than a rental. The Lions would only be taking on roughly $1.4 million for the rest of this season. The big number comes next year. McCollum is scheduled to make $15.406 million in 2027, with $7.4 million of that salary already guaranteed, and another $16 million in 2028. Tampa Bay would keep the prorated bonus money on its cap, so Detroit wouldn’t inherit those big Buccaneers cap numbers, but it would be taking on a real multi-year commitment.

Projected Price: 2027 third-round pick

Riley Moss, Broncos

I actually wrote about this one this past summer after the Terrion Arnold situation went down. I don’t know if he’s in the Broncos ‘ long-term plans, even though he has been starting there. The Broncos already have Patrick Surtain II. Ja’Quan McMillian has become an important part of their secondary and could be in line to get paid soon, and then Denver used the 20th overall pick in the 2025 draft on Jahdae Barron. Meanwhile, Moss is entering the final year of his rookie contract and will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. Denver doesn’t have to move him; he’s still playing essentially every defensive snap, but at some point they have to decide how much money they want tied up in one cornerback room.

Moss would make a lot of sense for the Lions because he’s young, he’s already proven he can be a full-time outside corner and he wouldn’t cost much against the cap this season. The Lions could acquire him cheaply for the stretch run, but if he plays well, they’d have to be prepared to give him a new deal. At 26 years old, though, Moss is also somebody Detroit could reasonably view as more than a rental. They would likely look to extend him.

Projected price: 2027 third-round pick

Donte Jackson, Chargers

Jackson isn’t the big-name swing, but he’s the kind of veteran corner that makes sense if the Lions are looking for somebody they can plug in immediately. Jackson is 31; he’s played a ton of football, and he has experience playing outside in multiple systems. He’s also been productive when the ball comes his way. Detroit doesn’t necessarily need another developmental corner right now. They need somebody who can walk into the building, understand what he’s being asked to do, and play meaningful snaps immediately. Jackson fits that description, and he gives them another veteran option without forcing them into a massive trade or a long-term financial commitment.

He’s also one of the easier contracts on this list to absorb. Jackson is in the final year of the two-year, $13 million deal he signed with the Chargers. His 2026 base salary is $6 million, and Los Angeles has already accounted for the signing-bonus portion of the contract. At this point in the season, Detroit would be taking on roughly $5 million of Jackson’s remaining salary, and then he’d become a free agent after the year. That’s pretty clean. There’s no future commitment, no extension that has to be dealt with immediately, and no giant cap number following him to Detroit.

Projected price: 2027 fifth-round pick

Marlon Humphrey, Ravens

We’ve talked about this one recently, and I still think Marlon Humphrey makes a ton of sense for Detroit. He’s 30 years old, he’s been one of the better corners in football for a long time, and he gives the Lions something they badly need right now: a proven player they can put outside and trust. He can also move around the secondary if they need him to. For a team that’s trying to win right now, Humphrey is exactly the type of veteran addition that could stabilize a secondary without Detroit having to wait for a younger player to develop.

The problem isn’t really what Detroit would owe Humphrey. It’s what Baltimore would have to eat to move him. Humphrey has a $15.25 million base salary this season, but his $4 million roster bonus has already been paid. If the Lions acquired him now, they’d be responsible for roughly $12.7 million of his remaining base salary, and his contract voids after the season. Baltimore, however, would be left with approximately $18.95 million in dead money from the bonuses it has already pushed into future years. The Ravens would still create about $7.33 million in 2026 cap space by trading him, but taking nearly $19 million in dead money for a player who is still helping your defense could absolutely give Baltimore pause.

Projected price: 2027 fourth-round pick

Cam Taylor-Britt, Colts

There’s already a little bit of history between Cam Taylor-Britt and the Lions. Detroit had him in during the pre-draft process before Cincinnati selected him in the second round in 2022, so this isn’t somebody Brad Holmes and his staff would be starting from scratch on. Taylor-Britt did start 40 games during his four seasons with the Bengals, but things have changed since then. He’s now with Indianapolis and hasn’t started a game this season, playing just 35 defensive snaps through his first two appearances. That’s what makes him interesting. Detroit wouldn’t be trading for a guy who’s currently locked into a major role somewhere else. They’d be betting that a player they’ve liked before could benefit from a change of scenery.

And the Lions would be an interesting landing spot for him. Taylor-Britt has always had the size, athletic ability, and physicality to play outside, and Detroit could offer him something Indianapolis currently isn’t: a real opportunity to play. He’s also incredibly cheap. Taylor-Britt signed a one-year deal worth $1.4 million, so this is pretty cheap for Detroit. He’s a free agent again in 2027, so there would be virtually no financial risk here. This would be the classic low-cost trade where the Lions see if a talented player they already know can become something more in their defense.

Projected price: 2027 sixth-round pick

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