Detroit Lions land CB Carlton Davis in trade with Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Detroit Lions made a trade for a new primary cornerback on Monday, though it wasn’t the one people were expecting. They acquired Carlton Davis from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a third-round pick and two sixth-round picks in upcoming NFL drafts. In the deal, the Lions relinquished their own third-round pick, No. 92 overall, but retained the Minnesota Vikings’ third-round choice, No. 73 overall, obtained from the 2022 T.J. Hockenson trade.
Davis, who recorded two interceptions in 12 starts for the Buccaneers last season, has been a consistent starter since his rookie year, despite missing five games due to various injuries. Despite allowing four touchdowns and a 96.1 passer rating against him last year, as per Pro Football Reference, Davis possesses the physical attributes and adaptability that the Lions value in their cornerbacks, standing at 6 feet 1 inch and weighing 206 pounds, and set to turn 28 in December.
He notably contributed seven tackles in the Lions’ playoff victory against the Buccaneers in January and was involved in a memorable block by Craig Reynolds during Amon-Ra St. Brown’s touchdown play in the Lions’ October win in Tampa.
While the Lions had been linked to several top cornerbacks in recent weeks, such as L’Jarius Sneed of the Kansas City Chiefs and Greg Newsome of the Cleveland Browns, they ultimately opted for Davis to enhance their secondary. Despite acquiring cornerbacks Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley, as well as safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency last year, the Lions struggled defensively, ranking 30th in yards per pass play (7.15) and 27th in passing yards allowed.
