Even before the news about Terrion Arnold’s long-term injury went public, the Detroit Lions had reportedly shown interest in a free agent cornerback that could help fill out a suddenly thinned-out room. Per NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the Lions are one of five teams who have shown interest in cornerback Tre Hawkins, joining the 49ers, Ravens, Dolphins, and Colts.
Hawkins is currently “progressing” from a hamstring injury suffered in New York Giants training camp this year. It’s unclear where he’s at in his recovery, but he was waived from the Giants’ injured reserve list on September 9 this year.
Prior to his injury, Hawkins was the Giants’ sixth-round pick in 2023. He appeared in all 17 games in his rookie season, starting three games for New York over that span and playing defensive snaps in 10 total games. He finished the year with 35 tackles, one pass breakup, and a 52.6 overall grade. However, he did log a 74.5 grade in run defense—something the Lions value with their cornerbacks. Last year, Hawkins was only active for three games, but did log his first interception in Week 14 against the Saints:
Unfortunately for Hawkins, he suffered a lumbar spine injury in the game and was lost for the rest of the season.
At 6-foot-3 and with a 4.39 40-yard dash, Hawkins has a tempting combination of youth (25 years old), size, athleticism, and willingness to get dirty in the run game. It’s just a matter of when he’ll be healthy enough to play.
The Lions already find themselves in some trouble at the cornerback position due to injuries. They lost 2024 second-round pick Ennis Rakestraw to a season-ending offseason injury. Last week, they put No. 1 cornerback D.J. Reed on injured reserve, and it appears both Arnold and Khalil Dorsey are expected to land there this week. That currently leaves the Lions with just three healthy cornerbacks on their 53-man roster: Amik Robertson, Rock Ya-Sin, and Avonte Maddox. Detroit does have Erik Hallett, Tre Flowers, and Nick Whiteside on their practice squad, as well.
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