The Detroit Lions continue to add to their secondary and may have found a hidden gem in signing nickelback Roger McCreary. Our own Brett Whitefield listed McCreary amongst a shortlist of remaining free agents he believed could help the Lions immediately, identifying him as a physical, press-man nickel corner who could compete for a starting role on a reasonable price tag.
Origin story
McCreary grew up in Alabama and elected to stay in the state for college, joining the Auburn Tigers in 2018. While he found the field in all four seasons, he held a starting role at corner over his final two and was recognized as a first-team All-American as a senior.
Like new Lions center Cade Mays, following his senior season, McCreary attended the Senior Bowl and was assigned to the team coached by the Lions. With a solid offseason workout performance, combined with his on-field production, McCreary was selected No. 35 overall (second round) in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
McCreary was immediately inserted into the Titans’ man-coverage starting lineup by then-coach Mike Vrabel, splitting his time between playing primarily in the slot, but also taking snaps on the outside. After two years in Vrabel’s system, McCreary saw the Titans shift to a zone-heavy scheme under new coach Brian Callahan and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson. In the new zone scheme, McCreary shifted into the slot full-time and saw a slight decline in his usage and production. In year four, despite maintaining a starting nickel role, the Titans traded McCreary and a conditional sixth-round pick to the L.A. Rams for a fifth-round pick, as part of a roster fire sale after firing Callahan.
In Los Angeles, McCreary suffered an injury on his first snap as a Ram, spent the next four weeks on injured reserve, but returned for their playoff push. Over the Rams’ final four games (Week 18 and the playoffs), McCreary played roughly 100 snaps split between slot and outside corner, and allowed just four receptions for a total of 28 yards, while making nine tackles.
What the experts are saying
McCreary was listed in both the PFF free agency guide and The Athletic free agency rankings, checking in just outside the top 100 free agents available. Here are excerpts from each.
From PFF’s free agency guide (Rank no. 114):
“After parts of four seasons with the Titans, McCreary was traded to the Rams prior to the deadline — and the move paid off. The former second-round pick played to a 79.4 PFF coverage grade and permitted just 28 yards in coverage across 110 total snaps. McCreary should be an intriguing, young slot corner on the market for multiple franchises.”
From The Athletic’s free agency rankings (Rank no. 101):
“The Rams acquired McCreary from the Titans via trade in October. He got injured on the first snap of his Rams debut in Week 12 and did not return until Week 17. McCreary was primarily a nickel in Tennessee, but he played more on the outside in the playoffs for the Rams. He can play both spots and has inside-outside flexibility. McCreary has good eyes and instincts. He is physical both as a run defender and coverage player.”
Expected role in 2026
While NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared McCreary’s playing style to that of Rock Ya-Sin during the pre-draft process, I believe his NFL usage has been closer to what we’ve seen from Amik Robertson. McCreary will likely primarily deploy out of the slot with the Lions, allowing him to work out of press coverage and contribute as a run defender—something he thrives at.
As of this signing, McCreary is likely the favorite to assume a starting nickel role, but he will face competition for that role from Ennis Rakestraw, newly signed Christian Izien, and potentially other additional defensive backs not yet on the roster.
Free agency impact
When it comes to the Lions’ secondary, there are so many unknowns amongst their starters—safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch’s injuries, as well as corner Terrion Arnold’s potential off-field issues—that it leaves the door open for more additions via free agency, despite the expectations for McCreary.
It certainly seems logical that the Lions would entertain re-signing Avonte Maddox after his performance last season, or Daniel Thomas for his special teams contributions, but with the Lions seemingly targeting younger players in free agency, it certainly narrows the market.
NFL Draft impact
With McCreary in the fold, it lessens the immediate need to add a corner in the draft; however, McCreary is only on a one-year deal—as are a few other Lions defensive backs, like Ya-Sin, Khalil Dorsey, and Nick Whiteside—meaning the Lions could absolutely target a corner in the draft.
If the Lions elect to target a nickel option, players like Avieon Terrell (Clemson), Keionte Scott (Miami), and D’Angelo Ponds (Indiana) may all be top-50 picks in this draft, while players like Chandler Rivers (Duke) and Treydan Stukes (Arizona) could come off the board in the top-100. Nickel corners Jaydon Canaday (Oregon) and TJ Hall (Iowa) are amongst my favorites that will likely be available on Day 3, while outside corners/special teamers Charles Demmings (Stephen F. Austin) and Hezekiah Massas (California) would fall into my “sleeper” category for the Lions.
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