It’s been more than 24 hours since the Detroit Lions lost out on the Joey Porter Jr. sweepstakes, when the Dallas Cowboys traded for the former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback. I’ve spent that time figuring out where I stand on the whole thing, and I think I understand why the Lions didn’t do it.

Look, I know Lions fans are going to be mad. Nothing anyone says will change the minds of most of them. And I’m not going to tell you that you shouldn’t be upset, because you should be. The reason matters, though. The problem isn’t that Detroit passed on this trade. It’s that the Lions didn’t do enough to protect themselves at cornerback in the first place.

Brad Holmes failed at cornerback this offseason

I still don’t think the Lions could have known about the Terrion Arnold situation during free agency. They could have known a little more by the draft, but they needed a tackle more than anything. They weren’t taking a corner in the first round, and probably not in the second either. They did land Keith Abney, and I think he’ll be a good piece of this team.

By OTAs and minicamp, though, Lions head coach Dan Campbell was publicly saying Arnold had to earn his starting job back. If you knew that heading into training camp, I don’t know why Detroit did almost nothing at corner.

Roger McCreary is struggling both outside and in the slot. Rock Ya-Sin made sense as a depth corner, but he’s not a starter, and it shows. Christian Izien has looked good at safety, but we haven’t seen much of him at corner. Brad Holmes failed here. Besides filling the center need, cornerback was the one place he needed to take a shot.

That said, it’s insane to claim the Lions have never invested in the position. A first-round pick, a second-round pick, a third-round pick traded for Carlton Davis, and a lot of money for D.J. Reed. Davis is looking great in New England. Amik Robertson had a strong 2024, a horrible 2025, and is now balling out in Washington. Hindsight is 20/20. Detroit has had nothing but bad luck at corner.

Why a second-round pick is a lot

The Lions were reported to have talked to Pittsburgh, but we don’t know what they actually offered. My guess is it was something like a third and a fifth. I’m just guessing. Pittsburgh was reportedly looking for a first-round pick or a package built around premium picks.

Dallas ultimately paid a 2028 second-round pick and a conditional sixth. That’s not a little bit, even if it’s 2028 and not 2027.

I don’t understand fans suddenly acting like a second-round pick is nothing. Look at who the Lions have taken there: Sam LaPorta, Brian Branch, and Tate Ratledge. Everybody points to Cooper DeJean in Philadelphia, too. Those picks matter.

Holmes values his drafts, and with good reason. The 2025 class already has multiple starters, including arguably one of the best nose tackles and right guards in the league. I still think they gave up too much for Isaac TeSlaa, but that draft is not a waste. In 2026, Blake Miller is already playing well and Skyler Gill-Howard is turning into something big. Derrick Moore, Jimmy Rolder, and Abney will come along by the end of the season.

Even 2024, a bad draft for everyone, is showing life. Ennis Rakestraw is starting to look good, Sione Vaki has had a productive couple of weeks, and Christian Mahogany has proven he can start at left guard.

Joey Porter Jr. was never a fit

I was the first one on the Lions beat to suggest this trade. I was all about it. Scheme-wise, Porter fits perfectly, and he’s still young enough to sign long term. But Holmes and the Lions have told us a million times they won’t waver on fit, and the last 24 hours made it clear he wasn’t one.

Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported Thursday that the Steelers and Porter agreed he would play Thursday night against the Cleveland Browns. He was a full participant in two walkthroughs, then pulled himself out of Wednesday’s practice with a back issue. Pittsburgh decided it was done. Less than a day after the trade, Dallas didn’t even list him on Thursday’s injury report, and there’s already a chance he plays Sunday.

Imagine if Jahmyr Gibbs had stretched his offseason holdout into a trade demand. Fans turned on him for a short holdout. Look at how people feel about Dylan Larkin asking out of Detroit with the Red Wings. Why is it fine when it’s somebody you want?

I’ll admit, in the heat of the moment after the Buffalo Bills shredded this defense, I said to give up a first. I walked that back. I looked at every team that traded first- and second-round picks for players over the last 10 years and found that about 14% of the teams that made one of those trades went on to win a Super Bowl. My projected offer was a 2027 third and a conditional 2028 third, and even that felt high.

Then there’s the money, with Porter wanting $30 million a year. That’s Christian Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon, Sauce Gardner, and Derek Stingley Jr. territory. He’s not that good. He’s not better than Patrick Surtain or Jaycee Horn. Detroit could theoretically afford it, but who do you give up? Are you OK losing LaPorta for this guy?

Fans were fine swapping Davis for Reed, too. Now Reed is a walking penalty. Two defensive pass interference calls on him let the New York Jets back into Sunday’s game.

So you’re giving up picks for a player who doesn’t fit the culture and wants $30 million a year. I get why the Lions backed out.

They still can’t do nothing. You can’t just hope Rakestraw becomes the guy you drafted in the second round. If Holmes doesn’t make a move before the trade deadline and the defense keeps struggling, his seat will start to get hot. That won’t just be outside pressure. Even Sheila Ford Hamp would tell him something has to change, because the whole point is winning a Super Bowl.

Being smart with your money is good. Sometimes you can be too smart, and being too smart kind of makes you not see the whole picture. We’ll see what happens. But I get it. I get why they didn’t do it.

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